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St. Helens Water Taxi has arrived

Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 141 June 7, 2023

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

The water taxi that the City of St. Helens purchased has arrived and is scheduled to be operational for the summer’s city tourism events.

The total cost of the refurbished boat is around $230,000 and was fully paid for by tourism-related event revenues, according to St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King.

The boat will support the city’s tourism programs, such as the annual sandcastle competition and Halloween activities which occur on Sand Island.

~ Crystal King, City of St. Helens

The boat will seek to provide convenient and safe travel for people to and from Sand Island, and support other waterfront tourism efforts. According to the Chronicle’s original report in May 2022

about the boat.

The capacity of the water taxi will be 30 occupants.

“Sand Island is a unique location that St. Helens is lucky to have. It’s been underutilized for decades,” King said. “Now, both community members and visitors will have better access to one of the few recreational islands maintained by a city on the Columbia River.”

The original budgeted cost for the water taxi was $250,000 and was offered by Bargeworx, LLC. When functional, it will be operated by a certified, licensed captain who will be paid out of the city’s tourism funds, according to the Chronicle’s original report.

King said that the boat is a strategic investment for the city that will enhance the city’s tourism efforts.

“The boat will support the city’s tourism programs, such as the annual sandcastle competition and Halloween activities which occur on Sand Island,” King said.

“Sand Island is an asset for creating unique tourism experiences in our region,” St. Helens City Administrator John Walsh told The Chronicle in the May 2022 report.

“Having a boat will allow the city to capitalize on the recreational opportunities and tourism-related events which can be developed along our riverfront.”

The St. Helens Marina currently operates a shuttle service to Sand Island to access the island’s campground. The new water taxi would be in addition to that shuttle.

The St. Helens City Council approved placing a deposit for the water taxi following a public hearing on May 18, 2022. According to the Columbia County Events

Facebook page, the boat arrived June 5. Boat controversy

The announcement of the boat’s purchase sparked controversy on social media. The original article from the Chronicle was posted on Facebook on June 6, 2022, and generated more than 70 comments.

Among the comments, some community members and Facebook users expressed dismay about using city money to procure a boat that needed repair and cost nearly a quarter of a million dollars. The city has emphasized that the cost was covered by tourism revenue, and not property taxes, but the comments still reflected opposition to spend-

ing city money in this way. With the summer fast approaching, the city will seek to get the boat in ship shape as the demand for waterfront tourism comes into full swing. Follow this developing story at thechronicleonline. com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Chronicle.

State issues ‘pig butchering’ scam alert

Originally published in

The Chief Vol. 132

June 9, 2023

STAFF REPORT

Country Media, Inc.

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) is warning consumers to be wary of an unexpected text or direct message from a stranger – it might be the first step in a “pig butchering” scam. The term pig butchering comes from the practice of fattening a pig before slaughter. These scams often involve fraudsters contacting targets seemingly at random, using social media or common communication apps.

The scammer gains the victim’s trust, often by starting a romantic relationship or a simple friendship. The scammer then starts to convince the victim to invest in phony investments, including fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, before falsely claiming the initial investment grew significantly, according to the DFR. The scammer then asks for more and more money, and demand multiple types of fees if a victim requests to withdraw the funds. Even when

the victim pays the withdrawal fees, the fraudster does not refund the victim’s money, but rather disappears with the funds without any further communication.

Fast Fact

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), there are several warning signs to be aware of involving these types of scams:

Unexpected contact: Never respond to unsolicited messages from unknown contacts, even about seemingly benign topics, especially via text message and on encrypted messaging applications.

Refusal to participate in video chats: If someone you consistently have been messaging with declines to interact face to face, they likely are not the person from the profile photo. Request for financial

information: Don’t share any personal financial information with anyone you have never met in person. If a new virtual friend or romantic connection starts making financial inquiries, put the brakes on the relationship. Invitation to invest in specific financial products: Be wary of any unsolicited investment advice or tips, particularly from someone you have spoken to only online and even if they suggest you trade through your own account. Always question what a source has to gain from sharing tips with you and whether the transaction fits with your financial goals and investment strategy.

before moving any money, particularly in an emerging market such as cryptocurrency, which has hundreds of exchanges and new avenues for trading continuing to evolve. Who controls the platform? What security measures are in place? How can you withdraw funds if needed? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, don’t put your assets there.

Frauds involving cryptocurrency, including pig butchering, represented most of these scams, increasing 183 percent from 2021 to $2.57 billion in reported losses last year. Courtesy photo

Unknown or confusing investment opportunity: Carefully evaluate the product, as well as the person or company requesting your investment. Along with a basic search, try adding words such as “scam” or “fraud” to see what results come up. Consider running recommendations by a third party or an investment professional who has no stake in the investment and use FINRA BrokerCheck to see if the promoter is a registered investment professional.

Unfamiliar trading platforms: Do extensive research

Exaggerated claims and elevated emotions: Take a closer look at any investment that offers much higher than average returns or is touted as “guaranteed.” Fraudsters will also often use their knowledge about you to appeal to your emotions –something like, “Don’t you want to have money to send your kids to college?”

Sense of urgency about an upcoming news announcement or share price increase: Remember that insider trading is illegal, and you should never trade in shares of a company on the basis of material, nonpublic information. “Romance scams and crypto scams continue to be the source of significant losses for consumers,” DFR Administrator T.K. Keen said. “Consumers who receive contacts out of the blue

through messaging apps on their phone or other means should be especially suspicious of those trying to entice them into cryptocurrency investments.”

Although the division has not received any complaints specific to pig butchering schemes, it knows that this activity is occurring based upon conversations with federal and nearby state law enforcement authorities. Several states and federal authorities have issued warnings on this sort of fraud.

In 2022, investment fraud caused the highest losses of any scam reported by the public to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3), totaling $3.31 billion.

Frauds involving cryptocurrency, including pig butchering, represented most of these scams, increasing 183 percent from 2021 to $2.57 billion in reported losses last year. The division accepts consumer complaints and will forward to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Consumers can also make a complaint to the FBI’s IC3 at https://www.ic3. gov/.

The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and www.dcbs.oregon.gov.

Courtesy photo

The new tourism passenger boat has arrived.