staff report benefit increase

Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891

VOL. 130, NO. 16$1.50FRIDAY,

AUGUST 20, 2021

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Gov. Kate Brown has announced two new vaccination measures to ad-dress Oregon’s hospital crisis, caused by the Delta variant surge, and to help keep Oregon students safe in the upcoming school year and minimize disruptions to in-person instruction.

• Oregon’s vaccination require-ment for health care workers will no longer have a testing alternative. Health care workers will be required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later.

• All teachers, educators, support staff and volunteers in K-12 schools will be required to be fully vaccinat-ed by Oct. 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, which ever is later.

In both cases, Brown said health care workers and educators who are not yet vaccinated are urged to speak with their doctor or primary care provider to get remaining questions about vaccination answered immedi-ately, so they can begin the vaccina-tion process in time to meet the new requirements.

During a morning news me-dia briefing Thursday, Aug. 19, Brown also outlined steps Oregon is taking to support hospitals dur-ing the ongoing surge in cases and hospitalizations, including deploy-ing the National Guard and nurse strike teams, establishing temporary decompression units to free up bed space and removing barriers to discharging patients who no longer require hospital-level care.

Brown said Oregon has made requests to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Biden-Harris administration for additional federal resources and sup-port. Brown has formed a Hospital Care Prevention and Response group consisting of health care stakehold-ers to problem solve in real time and suggest new measures to aid health care workers and hospitals during the ongoing-hospital crisis.

Letter to school districts

Brown issued an open letter to Oregon superintendents, school board members, and education leaders, Tuesday, Aug. 17, calling on them to take action to ensure Oregon’s K-12 students can return to full-time, in-person instruction in the classroom this year, with minimal disruptions from COVID-19.

“Throughout this pandemic, my north star for decisions about our schools has been to do what is best for our students,” Brown said. “We know that students’ mental, physical, behavioral, social, and emotional health is best served when they can be in schools for full-time, in-person instruction,” she said. “The Delta variant puts this goal at risk. It puts our children’s health and lives at risk. But, by again taking simple and effective precautions, we can still return our children to classrooms full-time this fall.”

While most Oregon school districts are moving forward with health and safety plans to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the upcoming school year, the governor

Health care workers, K-12

staff required to be vaccinated

This fall, individuals and families in Columbia County, across Or-egon and the nation who depend on food stamp assistance will see what the Biden Administration calls a significant and permanent increase in benefits.

It is reportedly the largest single increase in the food stamp system’s history, which now operates as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Impact in Oregon

Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Press Secretary Jake Sunderland said the Biden Ad-ministration made the announcement Monday, Aug. 16, and his depart-ment is still analyzing the changes and what they will mean to SNAP in Oregon.

“According to federal govern-ment, this change will increase SNAP benefits distributed in Oregon by $337 million,” Sunderland said. “For SNAP households this change on average will be about $36 more in money to buy food per person – or about $1.20 per day.”

The change in benefits takes ef-fect Oct. 1.

Currently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most SNAP households are temporarily receiving the maxi-mum benefit amount for their house-hold size, according to Sunderland.

“These are called emergency al-lotments and we have been providing these emergency allotments since March 2020,” he said.

SNAP benefit amounts vary depending on household size, income and other factors. SNAP benefits range from $0 a month (while receiv-ing other services like employment and training services) to the maxi-mum benefit amount for the house-hold size.

The need

Sunderland said COVID-19 has had an incredible impact on Oregon’s economy and hunger and food inse-curity in Oregon,citing an OSU study from December 2020 that estimates the rates of hunger and food inse-curity more than doubled in 2020 and that there are about 1 million Oregonians experiencing hunger and food insecurity.

From January 2020 to January 2021, the number of people receiving SNAP in Columbia County increased by more than 1,500 people, a 21% increase.

The current and new maximum amounts are in the table on A4.

Households whose income is 185% of the federal poverty level or less qualify for SNAP benefits.

“This means that a family of 4 making $49,000 a year is eligible for SNAP,” Sunderland said. “This is surprising for a lot of people. You can have a parent earning $23 an hour, while the other stays home with their two kids to save on daycare, and still struggle with hunger and food insecurity.”

Snap History

SNAP provides nutritional as-sistance benefits to children and families, the elderly, the disabled, unemployed and working families.

SNAP helps supplement monthly food budgets of families with low-

SNAP to see largest, permanent

benefit increase

See MANDATE Page A6

See SNAP Page A4

City of Clatskanie officials have announced that a $180,260 street repair and paving project will begin Monday morning,

Aug. 23 along Bel Air Drive.“This is a key transportation

improvement project because it is a key access to a large resi-dential neighborhood, the high school and the adjacent shopping center,” Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman told The Chief

in an earlier published interview.The street project is designed

to repair and repave Bel Air Drive from Highway 30 to the entrance of Clatskanie Middle/

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief A major street repair and paving project is set to begin Monday, Aug. 23 along Bel Air Drive in Clatskanie.

See REPAIR Page A2

JEREMY C. [email protected]

Bel Air Dr. improvements starting

Spreading HOPE in Columbia County

Courtesy photo from Kelly MillerA pickup full of local donations collected for the needy during the July food drive held by the Rainier Grocery Outlet.

Over the past few weeks, Kelly Miller has been opening letters that contain $100 donations to HOPE of Rainier.

Miller is the executive director of Hope of Rainier and Turning Point in Clatskanie, two social service nonprofits that operate food pantries and thrift stores in the two cities.

The $100 donations are coming from the Longview, Washington based Women Who Care organiza-tion. Each member donates $100 to an area charity selected by the group. HOPE of Rainier had been nominated for a $10,000 grant by the group.

Miller said she outlined to the group the need to replace four of HOPE’s aging refrigerators that are used to store food for needy

families. “They decided to chose my non-

profits to receive the grant, which was absolutely humbling to us to receive such a generous grant,” Miller said. “It is unbelievable.”

In July, the new operators of the Rainier Grocery Outlet conducted the store’s annual food donation drive collecting 1,236 pounds of food and $878.69 in cash to be used by HOPE to serve the area’s needy. Miller credits the store’s new own-ers Jody and James Day for their commitment to the community.

“They jumped right in to sup-port us and to collaborate with us to come up with other ways to give back to the community as well as supporting our clients,” Miller said.

The continued support from the community and the Columbia Pacif-ic Food Bank is welcomed, Miller said, due to the steady increase in need across Columbia County.

Miller said the clients range from the homeless to executives who have had their hours reduced.

“The biggest demand is com-ing from single and two parent families,” she said. “We estimate that our numbers have increased steadily 10% to 12% with 25% to 30% spikes that don’t necessary hold steady like the 10% to 12% that we have seen over the past 18 months.”

According to Miller, there are a variety of reasons for people turn-ing to the social service agencies.

“The heat wave, lack of em-ployment, people still not able to go back to their jobs as they knew them due to the pandemic, and with school starting there is another need and expense,” she said.

Miller said this month Turning

See HOPE Page A6

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The number of fatal and serious injury traffic crashes are rising across Oregon.

Two people died in a multiple vehicle crash that shut down all lanes of busy Oregon Coast Highway 101 just south of Lincoln City for several hours Friday, Aug. 13.

That deadly incident follows a series of traffic crashes along Highway 6 just a few weeks ago near Tillamook that left three people dead and sent several others to area hospitals. This summer, law enforcement, fire districts and emergency medical crews have also responded to traffic crashes along Highway 30 through Columbia County.

Increase alarming

Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Public Information Repre-sentative Lou Torres said the state agency is increasingly concerned about the traffic crashes and deaths.

“We are alarmed about the overall increase in severe crashes statewide,” Torres said. “Even with fewer peo-ple driving in 2020, we saw a significant increase in severe and fatal crashes and that trend has continued in 2021. As of July 28, Oregon traffic deaths were 22% higher than in 2020.”

Oregon State Police report that the investiga-

tors preliminary findings show that in the Aug. 13 Highway 101 crash a Dodge Durango,was northbound when it crossed into the southbound lane and collided with a Chevrolet Silverado. OSP said both drivers sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased. Highway 101 was closed for approximately four hours.

Torres said the cause of that double fatal crash was similar to the three recent fatal crashes on Highway 6.

“We do know that in each one was the result of a vehicle crossing over into the other lane of traffic and colliding with an oncoming vehicle,” Torres said. “These lane departure type crashes are becoming more com-mon and can be caused by a variety of reasons including speeding, distracted and inat-tentive driving, impairment and fatigue.”

According to Torres, in the fatal crash areas of Highway 6, drivers encounter challenging conditions.

Highway 6, the Wilson River Highway, is a road that follows the Wilson River in a canyon where the hillsides are steep on one side and a river running on the other side.

“It is a narrow canyon in places and has a lot of curves,” Torres said. “It is the kind of road that requires the full attention of the motorist.”

Safety options

Torres added that ODOT

has been trying to find ways to increase safety and reduce the number of lane departure crashes along Highway 6.

In 2016, ODOT installed updated and enhanced curve warning signs along the en-tire Highway 6 corridor.

“A significant number of these signs were added to help get motorists attention and keep them focused on staying in their lane,” he said

ODOT is taking other steps over the next few years, including installation of rumble strips to further pre-vent lane departure crashes. The strips are grooves in the pavement that make a rumbling sound and cause physical vibration that im-mediately warns inattentive drivers that they are leav-ing their driving lane. The rumble strips are considered for placement on the center-line to reduce head-on and

crossover crashes and on the shoulder to reduce run off the road crashes.

Following the last fatal crash on Highway 6, Torres said ODOT has added vari-able message signs (VMS) at two locations where there have been severe crashes. The signs read, “STAY ALERT. DRIVE SAFELY”

“We are also working

with Tillamook County to allow the county to also post VMS at different loca-tions,” he said. “Since these crashes are caused by driver behavior and poor deci-sions, we are trying to get their attention through the extra signage.”

Driver behavior

ODOT, law enforcement agencies and other first responders have partnered over the years to advocate driver safety with specific educational campaigns to help reduce the number of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities.

“The most difficult and challenging issue to address is driver behavior and the poor decisions made by mo-torists that result in severe crashes,” Torres said. “Ag-gressive driving and unsafe

passing on rural highways in Oregon is more common, along with driver inatten-tion and impairment that are also factors that lead to crashes. As you are prob-ably aware, people are less patient and in a big hurry these days.”

According to Torres, there has been a significant driving cultural shift in Oregon and America.

“It is not a good thing,” he said. “These driver ac-tions are really law enforce-ment issues, not something that can be easily fixed with engineering. Also important to note, a reduction in law enforcement staff impacts driver behavior.”

Law enforcement has also conducted additional patrols, when staffing permits, along areas where there have been frequent traffic fatalities.

“We realize that these crashes can be devastating to families and communi-ties,” Torres said. “We care about each and every life lost on our highways and that is why ODOT strives to prevent crashes like these from happening. Know that we share the public’s concerns and will continue to monitor Highway 6 and other roads.”

Join the conversation, take The Chief ’s online poll at thechiefnews.com and tell us what you think needs to be done to slow the increas-ing traffic crashes and fatalities in Oregon.

Oregon traffic crashes, fatalities rising

Metro Creative Connection / The Chief As of July 28, Oregon traffic deaths were 22% higher than in 2020.

The most difficult and challenging issue to ad-dress is driver behavior and the poor decisions made by motorists that result in severe crashes~ Lou Torres, ODOT


Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% in July from 5.6% in June.

July was the 15th con-secutive monthly decline in Oregon’s unemployment rate, according to the Oregon Employment Department. The reduction in the unemploy-ment rate accelerated over the past two months with a 0.2 percentage point drop in June followed by a 0.4 point drop in July. These improvements followed slow declines of 0.1 point per month in each of the first five months of 2021.

There were 105,502 unemployed in July compared to 204,520 unemployed in July 2020. There were 2,085,367 employed in Oregon in July compared to 1,850,232 in July 2020.

Oregon’s July unemploy-

ment rate declined dramati-cally from its high of 13.2% in April 2020, at the peak of the last recession, to 5.2% in July. However, the state’s unemployment rate is still moderately above the period of record low rates in the years prior to the pandemic. During January 2017 through March 2020, Oregon’s unemployment rate was fairly steady, averag-ing 3.9%.

For the past several years, Oregon’s unemployment rate generally has closely tracked the U.S. unemployment rate. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 5.4% in July from 5.9% in June.

Nonfarm payroll em-ployment grew in Oregon by 20,000 in July, following monthly gains averaging 9,100 in the prior six months.

Job gains and losses

Gains in July were largest

in government (+12,800 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (+7,100). Only one major industry shed more than 900 jobs: transportation, warehous-ing, and utilities (-2,500 jobs).

Government job gains in July were concentrated in local government — in contrast with federal government and state government which both expe-rienced their normal seasonal pattern in July. Throughout the economic recovery of the past year, local government aver-aged more than 20,000 jobs below its pre-recession level of about 230,000. But in July, seasonally adjusted employ-ment shot upward by 12,800 jobs.

Likely factors in the stronger July pattern this year include schools not laying off the typical numbers of employees for the summer and cities and counties ramping up employment closer to pre-pandemic levels.

Leisure and hospitality ex-panded rapidly in July, adding 7,100 jobs. Despite this gain, it still accounts for the bulk of Oregon’s jobs not recovered since early 2020, with 44,500 jobs left to recover to reach the prior peak month of Febru-ary 2020. The industry has regained 60% of jobs lost early in the pandemic.

Transportation, warehous-ing, and utilities declined by 2,500 jobs in July. This loss may reflect a change in the seasonal pattern of the industry over the past two years. With online shopping and delivery rapidly growing, the industry has exploded over the last few years. It ramped up by 12,500 jobs between April and De-cember of last year, which was about double the industry’s seasonal hiring a few years prior. Despite the recent hiccup in July, the industry is still 5,100 jobs above its July 2019 total of 70,400 jobs.

Oregon’s jobless rate declines for 15th consecutive month

Metro Creative Connection / The ChiefThere were 105,502 unemployed in July compared to 204,520 unem-ployed in July 2020. There were 2,085,367 employed in Oregon in July compared to 1,850,232 in July 2020, according to the Oregon Employ-ment Department.


High School. The work will begin on Monday morn-ing and is scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, August 25.

On Monday, Bel Air will be closed from High-way 30 to 2nd Street. Ac-cess to the post office will need to be done through the Highway 30 entrance to the Safeway parking lot. The street is scheduled to reopen Monday evening.

The remainder of Bel Air Drive from 2nd Street to the high school will be repaved on Aug. 24 and 25 with single lane traffic on those two days.

There will be no park-ing allowed on Bel Air from Aug. 23 through Aug. 25 while the paving project is ongoing. City officials urge caution and patience when driving in the paving area during those days.

This project is fund-ed partially through a $100,000 small cities allotment grant from the Oregon Department of

Transportion (ODOT) and the remainder of the funds from the City of Clats-kanie’s Timber Infrastruc-ture Improvement Fund. The city solicited bids for the project in June. Lakeside Industries was awarded the contract with the company’s bid of $180,260.

“Once the paving is done, concrete work to replace some sections of side walk will continue for a few days afterwards with that project having little impact on traffic,” Hinkel-man said.

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••Crossword Puzzle••

ACROSS1. *____ mater5. *Graduate degree, acr.8. Opposite of stereo12. Defense ditch13. Fishing rod attachment14. More sure15. One’s final notice16. Dutch cheese17. Golfer’s traction aid18. *Half-year terms20. At the summit of21. Water nymph22. Actor ____ Mahershala23. Be a busybody26. Metrical foot in poetry30. Earlier in time, archaic31. Become bony34. Shakespeare’s tragic monarch35. Labanotation founder37. Theodor Geisel, ____ Dr. Seuss38. Threshold39. Relating to the ear40. Weather advisories, e.g.42. + or - atom43. Widely esteemed45. Most mature, as in fruit47. Indian dish48. Dashboard window50. Female sheep, pl.

52. *”The Breakfast Club” punishment56. Flower holders57. Singles58. High school breakout59. Acoustic output60. Overwhelming defeat61. *Gym class test?62. Catchall abbr.63. *Geography class staple64. Not talker?

DOWN1. ____ of cookie fame2. Stud site3. Cripple4. *Go to class5. Mythological princess of Colchis6. TV cooking show pioneer James ____7. Contributions to the poor8. *Kind of choice9. Black and white treat10. Less than average tide11. Table scrap13. Laces again14. Milan’s La ____19. Manicurist’s office22. Is it ____ wonder?23. Hard on outside, juicy on inside

24. One of the Muses25. Payment option26. From a great distance27. Chill-inducing28. Type of palm tree, pl.29. Council of _____, city in Italy32. *Back-to-School retail event33. WWII general who be-came President36. *Faculty member38. “Peace” with fingers40. TV classic “____ in the Family”41. Superlative of true44. Lowest male singing voice46. Small bomb48. Christopher Columbus’ birthplace49. Consumed (2 words)50. Small ladies’ handbag51. What one does at the altar52. *College freshman’s new digs53. International Civil Avia-tion Organization54. Half as much as twice55. ____-do-well56. Every American’s uncle?

Solution to crossword in next week’s issue of The Chief.

STATEPOINT CROSSWORDTHEME: BACK TO SCHOOL

Afghan refugees may soon be arriving in Oregon.

“As we watch the current situation unfold in Afghani-stan, Oregon stands ready to help the federal govern-ment resettle Afghan refugee families,” Gov. Kate Brown states in a release. “Oregon is ready to welcome any and all Afghans who would make our state their home.”

Brown’s statement Wednesday, Aug. 18, follows a letter she received from state Rep. Khanh Pham and state Sen. Kayse Jama signed by Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotex, Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney and 50 other state legislators. See the letter attached to this story at thechiefnews.com.

Brown said that over the last two decades, thousands

of Afghans have worked alongside U.S. military ser-vice members, as interpreters and translators and in other roles, risking their lives as they contributed to the U.S. efforts in their country.

“The lives of Afghan women and girls are at risk

simply because they had the audacity to learn in school and pursue careers,” Brown said, adding that equal rights advocates are being targeted for seeking a more just fu-

ture with equal rights for all. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community in Afghanistan are in danger because of who they are and who they love.

“In Oregon, we welcome refugees from around the world, recognizing that resettlement is a lifeline our country provides for survi-vors of violence and oppres-sion,” Brown said. “We all thrive when we accept refu-gees into our communities. We benefit from the diversity of thought, opinion, and culture that refugee families bring.”

Oregon has welcomed more than 75,000 refugees since 1975. And these com-munities are a vital part of the fabric of Oregon’s his-tory, culture, and economy, according to the governor.

Brown said she is hopeful the Biden-Harris administra-tion, along with Congress, will lift refugee admission caps and take other emer-gency humanitarian actions to save lives.

According to Brown, it is

critical that the United States take steps to evacuate as many people in danger from Afghanistan as quickly as possible, including expedit-ing the visa approval pro-cess, particularly for those Afghans and their families who have risked their lives in service of this country.

“Oregon will continue to be a welcoming and inclu-sive place for all who call our state home – including and especially our immi-grant and refugee communi-ties,” Brown said.

The state legislators’ let-ter also illustrated Oregon’s support for the refugees.

“As leaders, it is our duty to act swiftly and with urgency to save lives, place humanity above all, and ensure that Afghan refugees are safely evacuated to wel-coming communities,” the letter states.

Oregon ready to welcome Afghan refugees

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief Fifty-two Oregon legislators have signed a letter sent to Gov. Kate Brown affirming that Afgan families are welcome in Oregon.


As leaders, it is our duty to act swiftly and with urgency to save lives, place humanity above all, and ensure that Afghan refugees are safely evacu-ated to welcoming com-munities.~ Letter of support from Oregon Legislators

Oregon’s residential mort-gage foreclosure moratorium has been extended until Dec. 31, 2021.

The moratorium prevents Oregonians who own their homes from losing their homes to foreclosure if they have lost income and been unable to pay their mort-gage during the COVID-19 pandemic. House Bill 2009 authorized the governor to extend the mortgage foreclo-sure moratorium period for two successive three-month periods beyond June 30.

Gov. Kate Brown previ-ously issued Executive Order 21-14, extending the mora-torium until Sept. 30, 2021. The extension until Dec. 31 is the last extension allowed under House Bill 2009.

“As we continue to see record high numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations driven by the Delta surge, I am committed to ensur-ing that Oregonians have a warm, dry, safe place to live during this pandemic,” Brown said. “Extending the temporary residential fore-closure moratorium another

three months will prevent removal of Oregonians from their homes by foreclosure, which would result in serious health, safety, welfare, and financial consequences, and which would undermine key efforts to prevent spread of COVID-19.”

Extending House Bill 2009’s foreclosure mora-torium will also provide relief to mortgagors that are leasing property to residential tenants, allowing landlords needed flexibility to continue to work with tenants who are struggling

to pay rent, according to Brown, who added, that the protections are necessary as Oregon continues to deploy federal financial relief both for Oregonians who rent and for Oregonians who own their homes, including the Emergency Rental Assistance

program and the Homeown-ership Assistance Fund, both of which are in the initial stages of deployment.

Oregonians who have fallen behind on their mort-gages during the pandemic are encouraged to contact a housing counselor in their community. Housing counselors are knowledge-able, dedicated professionals who can help homeowners explore their best options for keeping their homes. A list of housing counselors in com-munities across Oregon is available at www.oregon.gov/ohcs/homeownership/Pages/housing-counseling.aspx.

Rental assistance, safe-harbor period

available for tenants

Similar protections are also in place for Oregonians who rent their homes. In addition to resources for landlords and homeowners, rental assistance continues to be available for tenants at OregonRentalAssistance.org.

On June 25, 2021, Gover-nor Brown signed Senate Bill 278, which provides tenants a 60-day safe-harbor period from eviction for nonpay-

ment of rent. In Multnomah County, the safe harbor period is 90 days.

The 60-day safe-harbor period for each tenant begins when they provide their landlords with proof that they have applied for rental assis-tance. Oregon’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program is still accepting applications at OregonRentalAssistance.org. Tenants who are behind on their rent or utilities or who may need help paying current or future month’s rent should apply today. The program is offered to all eligible renters regardless of immigration status.

If a tenant has received an eviction proceeding notice, they should consult with a lawyer as quickly as possible, according to a release from Brown’s office. No cost or low-cost legal services may be available.

For more information on the end of Oregon’s eviction moratorium and protections for Oregon’s renters, go to OregonLawHelp.org. Renters can also contact 2-1-1 or 211info.org to be linked to their local program admin-istrator.

Foreclosure moratorium extended

Courtesy photoThe moratorium prevents Oregonians who own their homes from losing their homes to foreclosure if they have lost income and been unable to pay their mortgage during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Let us know what YOU thinkEMAIL YOUR LETTERS TO: [email protected]



Navigating through the pandemicEditor’s Note: The Chief

presented Paul Vogel’s part one of this two part guest column in the Aug. 13 edi-tion. The following is part two.

The business picture is a mess.

People aren’t returning to work for myriad reasons. But we need to take “fear of getting sick” completely off that list. If people are taking the pandemic pause to re-think personal or work priorities, jobs and career paths – more power to them. But businesses are limping along with partial staffing. The only thing worse than a restaurant being com-pletely shut down is one that can only be partially or inconsistently open – and not know when that might be since workers may or may not show up either for interviews or work itself. And you know it’s not just restaurants.

If you’re concerned about getting sick, get vaccinated or at least wear a mask. Then go to work. If your employees need reassurance, help them get vaccines and require masks, for everybody. Start taking that “fear” off the list. Some

local businesses are doing just that, adapting to meet the both the virus and the worker shortage head on. They’re re-looking at work conditions, conventional views on hours, shifts, and working from home. But manufacturers don’t have work from home luxury. Some here locally, like Pa-cific Stainless, are acting on their care for worker safety - and fear - by partnering with public health and others to bring vaccination events to their shop floor. You can do that too.

In order for an economy to be healthy it needs to have balance – demand and supply/supply and demand.

As with worker behaviors, consumer patterns and be-haviors have changed. Our local retailers can’t adjust to that if there’s no one to work. Potential customers find alternatives if business-es are erratically open.

Fear of getting sick and inability to find care for children while you work – those are problems that need to be addressed.

Oxford Economics Chief U.S. Financial Economist Kathy Bostjancic recently observed, “The highly con-tagious Delta variant casts a shadow on the labor market recovery in the coming months, threatening to slow the return of workers still on the sideline due to childcare issues or health concerns.”

Vaccines are free and available. With CARES and ARPA funding, pro-grams are underway to try to unravel the childcare puzzle. Employers that want to attract and retain work-ers, maybe look at childcare as not only a benefit, but an essential part of your future business model.

Like employee/worker behavior, consumer behavior is changing – has changed – due to the pandemic. Rebuilding our economy and adapting to that change, Keep it Local Columbia

County has never been more important. Keep it Local is currently surveying consum-ers - your customers (or the people who should be) - to find out what they want, why they shop local or, more important, if they don’t, then why not. Get a hold of Keep it Local to find out. These insights will be shared with anyone who wants them.

Here are some other things to think about and do

something about:

Workers: There’s a worker shortage. There hasn’t been a better time for you to find or change jobs in decades. If you can’t find a job you like in this market, the pandemic and economy are not to blame. It’s time for a new approach in order to rejoin the economy.

If you want to make a change, learn something different. Explore mechatro-nix, digital literacy, appren-ticeship programs, makers spaces and more at the new PCC Training Center. And no one is better positioned, or able, to adapt to the changing work environment than OMIC, blazing trails in both advanced and additive manufacturing. Right here.

Business owners: We need to help change the way

people are thinking about work – from both sides of the relationship. Maybe that’s improving wages, benefits, or simply the conditions or considerations in our workplace. We need people to come back to, or want to go to, work for us. On September 15, North-west Oregon Works, our workforce partner will have another job fair. If you need people, sign up and show up for that. And LISTEN to why people are changing work, or reluctant to go back to work. Adjust your own outlook toward employee retention – it may be the most important “marketing” you’ve done in a decade.

If you haven’t been do-ing marketing – hope that’s working for you but maybe it’s time for a rethink on your approach. Everything’s changed. Employees AND consumers have changed their expectations of you. Perhaps it’s a good time to refresh on how you run your entire business – and the passion that got you into your business in the first place. Take a class. Attend a seminar. Or just watch their videos online. Everything’s changed. Some of your com-petitors get that. You’d better catch up to get ahead. PCC business classes are start-

ing up again in the fall, and we’ve got additional help on the way.

We’ll be bringing a new Small Business Resource Center to Columbia County soon. We’ve never had one here. Some of the COVID funding will help make it happen. COVID certainly underscored the need. Busi-ness advising will be free, which kind of removes any excuse to for not tapping into it, yeah? If you don’t take advantage, the economy and pandemic are not to blame.

New tools, new op-portunity, new information and knowledge, even new vaccines are coming to Co-lumbia County. We simply need to work together to help eliminate the business uncertainty of potential new masks requirements and other on again/off again rules designed to protect us. And who or what to protect ourselves from. If we don’t help stabilize things, seize opportunities, and help ourselves and our communi-ties, the economy and the pandemic are not to blame.

Paul Vogel is the execu-tive director of the Columbia County Economic Team. He may be reached at 503-410-1061.

PAUL VOGELChief Guest Article

Paul Vogel

Contact Us • Phone: (503) 397-0116 • Fax: (503) 397-4093 • Website: www.thechiefnews.com Editorial Email: [email protected] • Advertising Email: [email protected]

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Courtesy ImageThis change will increase SNAP benefits distributed in Oregon by $337 million. For SNAP households this change on average will be about $36 more in money to buy food per person.

income to buy the food they need to maintain good health and allow them to direct more of their available income to-ward essential living expenses.

ODHS staff determines the eligibility of applicants based on guidelines estab-lished by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The primary goals of the program are to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to improve nutrition and health in eligible households.

Questions about your SNAP benefits should be directed to local ODHS of-fices or by calling the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-699-9075. You can look up your local offices number at: www.oregon.gov/dhs/Of-fices/Pages/Self-Sufficiency.

aspxIf you need help, here are

important resources:

• You can apply online for food, cash and medical help at: ONE.Oregon.gov

• Find a food pantry: food-finder.oregonfoodbank.org

• Learn about government programs and community

resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Con-nection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www.adrcofore-gon.org.

• Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org For help with resources in your com-munity

SNAPFrom Page A1

The police blotter relates to the public record of in-cidents as reported by law enforcement agencies.

All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Information printed is preliminary and subject to change.

For specific details about cases listed, contact the appropriate law enforce-ment agency.

Oregon State Police

Aug. 13• At 8:15 a.m. a citizen reported being flagged down by an lethar-gic man asking for police help at Collins Beach on the Sauvie island Wildlife Area. A trooper responded and located the reporting citizen and a man lying in the gravel. The man claimed to have been on the beach for several days with nothing to eat or drink and was suffering from heat stroke and dehydration. An ambulance responded and transported the individual to Em-manuel Hospital. His truck was secured at the scene.• At 12:54 p.m. A retail business

owner in Columbia County was interviewed by the Oregon State Police regarding bait purchases he made in May 2021. He purchased bait shrimp from a commercial shellfish harvester who did not possess the proper wholesale license. The business owner was warned and edu-cated to avoid future violations.• At 1:33 p.m. OSP came upon what appeared to be a domestic occurring along the eastbound shoulder of US Highway 30 near milepost 24. Subsequent in-vestigation revealed a husband and wife were involved in a fight inside their vehicle as it traveled westbound on Highway 30. The husband sustained minor injuries as a result. It was deter-mined there was a no contact order between the pair with the husband listed as the protected party. Additionally, the husband and wife had earlier been driving separate vehicles when the wife drove into the back of the ve-hicle operated by the husband. Wife was arrested for Harass-ment where she was transported to the Columbia County Jail. She exhibited signs of impair-ment and performed sobriety tests. She refused a breath test and a warrant was obtained. She later provided blood as well

as breath samples indicating .24% BAC. She was lodged on Harassment and Attempted As-sault II with a weapon and cited and booked for DUII.

Aug. 14• At 2:27 a.m. OSP responded to a crash on US Highway 30 near milepost 38.5. The report-ing party located the vehicle over some jersey barriers and fully engulfed in flames with no driver or occupant around. Investigation at the scene revealed the Dodge pickup was traveling westbound when it struck the end of the jer-sey barrier after leaving the eastbound lane of travel. The vehicle sustained heavy damage as it traveled several hundred feet, coming to rest down an embankment. The driver or any occupant likely suffered injuries but were unable to be located. Additional followup to occur.• At 11:50 a.m. A vehicle was traveling westbound on US Highway 30 near milepost 44 when a wheel from a semi that was being worked on in the parking lot of The Burger Barn got away and rolled into the highway and struck the front of the traveling vehicle caus-ing significant damage. Unit #2

was able to be driven from the scene.• At 12:35 p.m. Oregon State Police received a call of a two-vehicle crash that occurred near Clatskanie. The reporting party stated that while headed west on US Highway 30 through Clatskanie he was rear-ended by another vehicle. The other vehicle continued on Highway 30 without stopping. The report-ing party was unable to get any vehicle information for the other involved vehicle. The reporting party did not supply his vehicle information. The reporting party believed the damage to his ve-hicle to be around $50.

Aug. 14• At 4:14 p.m. A bicyclist deliv-ered a wallet he found on HWY 30 to the St. Helens OSP work-

site. The wallet was returned to the owner.• At 11:42 p.m. Troopers stopped a white sedan for failing to stop at a stop sign on JP West Road near SW 1st Street in Scappoose. Troopers saw indicators of impairment and asked the driver to consent to standardized field sobriety tests. Troopers subsequently arrested the driver for DUII. The driver consented to the breath test and gave a BAC of 0.08%. The driver was cited and released from the Scappoose Police Department. The vehicle was secured in place.

St. Helens Police

Aug. 6• Officers arrested a 38-year-old male for DUII in the 58000

block of Columbia Boulevard.

Aug. 8• Police responded to a bur-glary call in the 700 block of Columbia River Highway.

Aug. 9• Police arrested a 69-year-old male and a 64-year-old male in the 300 block of S. Columbia River Highway for warrants.• Police responded to a hit and run in the 700 block of Colum-bia River Highway.• Police arrested a 49-year-old individual for failure to perform the duties of a driver.

The Rainier Police, Scappoose Police and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reports were not available at press time.

••Blotter••

www.thechiefnews.comFriday, August 20, 2021 A5

MarketplaceJust call 503.397.0116It’s easy to place a classified ad in The Chief.

Listings are updated daily at www.thechiefnews.com

Public NoticesPROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

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Clatskanie School District #6JPublic Hearing to Establish Tax Levy Rates for FY21/22

A public hearing on the FY21/22 tax levy rates for the Clatskanie School District #6J will be held at 6:00pm on Thursday August 26, 2021 on Zoom. Interested persons may attend via Zoom. A link to join the meeting via Zoom will be available on the district website.available on the district website.

The purpose of the hearing is to discuss and approve the tax levy rates. The permanent tax levy rate remains unchanged, the tax levy amount is $700,000, which is $34,000 less than last year. A copy of the resolution will be available on the district website on Monday, August 16, 2021.

A special public board meeting will be held at 6:15pm on Thursday August 26, 2021 to approve the FY21/22 tax levy rates. This meeting will include a public hearing, interested persons may attend via Zoom. The link for the 6:00 budget committee meeting may be used to access this Zoom meeting.

CC21-1505

CC21-1506

Probate Depart-ment In the Matter of the Estate of VIR-GIL DON WRIDGE, JR., Deceased. No. 21PB06119 NO-TICE TO INTER-ESTED PERSONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed

personal representa-tive of this estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claims, with vouchers at-tached, within four months after the date of first publication of this notice to the personal representa-

tive at P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048, or the claims may be barred. All persons whose rights may be affected by the proceedings may obtain additional information from the records of the Court, the personal representative or

the attorney for the personal representa-tive. Dated and first published August 20, 2021. Ronald Steven Wridge, Personal Representative. STEPHEN D. PE-TERSEN, L.L.C. At-torney at Law, P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA

CC21-1507

For Sale by public auction at 10:00am on Tuesday, August 31, 2021: Abandoned Mobile Home formerly belonging to Judy Newville. The mo-bile home is located at Westport Villas II

Mobile Home Park, 91155 Old Mill Town Road, Space No. 18. The home is a 1973 Singlewide 3 bedroom/1.5 bath, 936 sq ft., X-Plate No. 101653. Inter-ested buyers may contact Ansara

Sayers, Manager of the Park, at 503-455-9911 prior to the sale to inspect the home. The sale will be held at the home’s loca-tion. Sealed bids will not be accepted. The home may remain in the park as long as

it is owner-occupied by a person approved for tenancy by West-port Villas II Mobile Home Park. Purchas-er must be approved as a tenant prior to occupying the home and/or must sign a storage agreement.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION

CC21-1502

You are hereby required to appear and defend the order to show cause filed against you in the above-entitled action within THIRTY (30) DAYS of the date of service of this summons upon you, and, in case of your failure to do so, for want thereof, respondent will ap-ply to the court for the relief demanded in the order to show cause. NOTICE TO

THE PETITIONER: READ THESE PAPERS CARE-FULLY! You must “appear” in this case or the other side will win automatically. To “appear” you must file with the court a legal paper called a “motion” or “answer.” The “motion” or “an-swer” must be given to the court clerk or administrator within THIRTY (30) DAYS of the date of first

publication speci-fied herein, along with the required filing fee. It must be in proper form and have proof of service on the respondent’s attorney or, if the respondent does not have an attorney, proof of service upon the respondent. The date of first publication of this summons is August 13, 2021. If you have any questions, you should see an

attorney immedi-ately. If you need help in finding an attorney, you may call the Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service at (503) 684-3763 or toll-free in Oregon at 1-800-452-7636. Stephen D. Petersen, OSB #73235, At-torney for Respon-dent. STEPHEN D. PETERSEN, L.L.C., P.O. Box 459, Rainier, OR 97048, (503) 556-4120.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR THE OCUNTY OF COLUMBIA CLAY W. BROWN, Petitioner, and YVONNE D. DEITERING, Respondent. No. 12-3343 SUMMONS To: CLAY W. BROWN

CC21-1504

The City of Rainier, Oregon is soliciting proposals for Street Improve-ments, including but not limited to storm manholes, storm

lines, catch basins and asphalt. The full RFP is available on our website, www.cityofrainier.com. For a hard copy or questions, please

call Rainier City Hall at 503-556-7301 or email [email protected] Bid deadline is 2pm August 31, 2021.

CITY OF RAINIER IS SOLICITING PROPOSALSThe Public Notice deadline is Wednesdays by noon.

Late submissions are not guaranteed to make it into the paper.

Virgil Don and Roma Jean Wridge passed peaceful-ly within two weeks of each other this past June. They were approaching their 56th wedding anniversary.

Virg and Roma were ac-tive in their church and com-munity and had made many

great friends in the communi-ty. They loved hunting, fish-ing, clamming, crabbing and camping with family. For 13 wonderful years they spent six months from November to May together on Mexico’s Baja peninsula where Virg was able to fish to his heart’s

content and Roma developed many lifetime friendships while playing bunco, domi-nos and cards.

They are survived by their four children, Gayle Wridge, Ron (Gracie) Wridge, Kim (Chris) Taylor and Beth (Bud) Parmen-tier; seven grandchildren; a frequently changing number of great grandchildren; and three great, great grandsons.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on August 21, 2021, their 56th wedding anniversary, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 27410 Parkdale Road, Rainier, Oregon 97048. There will be a luncheon held immediately afterwards at the American Legion Hall at 930 N.E. 5th Street, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016.

••oBituaries••

Virgil Don WridgeMay 27, 1930 ~ June 13, 2021

Roma Jean WridgeMarch 25, 1941 ~ June 27, 2021

Kenneth Attwood Berg-man, a former resident of Rainier, Oregon, passed away on July 25, 2021.

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Rainier, Oregon.

Kenneth Attwood Bergman

March 11, 1953 ~ July 25, 2021

Solution for the August 13, 2021 crossword puzzle

••Crossword solutions••

Subscribe to The ChiefCall 503-397-0116



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Courtesy photo Amanda Marie Kallunki of Portland, graduates with a Doctor of

Psychology degree at Pacific University’s commencement held on August 14.

While at Pacific University she was the Diversity Committee chair, specialized in adult track and completed practicums at NARA, Job Corps and the Pacific Clinic in Portland. In addition she completed her dissertation that was titled ‘Betrayed and Marginalized: PTSD in People with Intellectual Disabilities.’

Amanda was awarded outstanding academic status 2019-2021 with a GPA of 3.933. She traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee to complete her internship with Cherokee Health Systems and returned there for her post doctorate work.

Amanda is a 2005 graduate of Clatskanie High School and the daughter of Jack and Carol Craig of Clatskanie.

Thousands of sand dollars wash ashore at Seaside

Courtesy photo from Seaside AquariumSeaside Aquarium staff said they do not know what has caused the sand dollars to wash ashore, but said these types of incidents usually have several contributing factors.

Thousands of live sand dollars are washing ashore on the south end of Seaside Beach along the North Or-egon Coast.

“It appears that they are washing in during the after-noon high tides and getting stranding along the high tide line,” according to a post at the Seaside Aquarium Face-book page. “They are still alive when stranded but are unable to make it back to the water once the tide recedes Resulting in them drying up and dying.”

Seaside Aquarium staff said they do not know what has caused the sand dollars to wash ashore, but said these types of incidents usu-ally have several contributing factors.

Visit this site to see a short video: https://youtu.be/YVBSrlgQ1no.

According to the aquar-

ium post, sand dollars are related to sea urchins. The outside of their shell is covered with millions of tiny spines which look like ‘fuzz’ or hair. These spines aid in the movement and feeding of the sand dollar.

On the underside, in the center of the sand dollar is its mouth. A sand dollar’s diet consists of plankton, which they break down with their five small teeth. Each tooth closely resembles the shape of a bird, and many people refer to them as ‘doves.’ Sand dollars are found worldwide and there are many different species, each with their own unique characteristics.

Aquarium staff said if the sand dollar is still ‘fuzzy’ that is the best indication that it is still alive.

“You may want to leave the ‘fuzzy’ ones on the beach, as they can smell quite badly if taken home,” the aquarium post reads.


said she issued the letter in re-sponse to troubling statements and actions from local school leaders indicating they would ignore state law.

Several school boards have passed or are considering resolutions opposing Oregon’s K-12 indoor mask require-ments. In one school district, a superintendent encouraged parents to make false claims on behalf of their children by requesting mask exemptions under the Americans with Dis-

abilities Act.The governor called

on districts to reject taking actions that defy state and fed-eral laws, and to take action to protect students’ health and safety instead.

As with Oregon’s previous K-12 mask requirements, the current indoor mask require-ment can be enforced by Or-egon OSHA under state law.

Read the full text from Gov. Brown’s open letter with this story at thechiefnews.com.

Local reaction

Clatskanie School District

Superintendent Kathy Hurow-itz said the district is pleased that Brown is focusing on keeping the schools open for full time in person instruc-tion keeping staff and student safety in the forefront.

“We are planning to fol-low the Governor’s mandate as we are unwilling to place our teachers and staff’s livelihood in jeopardy,” she said. “We have a temporary program designed to allow a student to follow what is hap-pening in the classroom and receive instruction via an on-line program, when the mask mandate is lifted the students will be able to return to school

with minimal disruption.”In a published report Aug.

13, The Chief outlined the Rainier School Board’s earlier concerns about Brown’s stu-dent face covering mandate.

The board sent a letter to Brown earlier this month voicing disappointment and concern about her directive ordering all K-12 children to wear face coverings while attending classes in the new school year ahead.

In the letter, the school board said its priority has been, and continues to be to have students in school for face-to-face instruction for the entire school year.

“We also understand that mask wearing is one of many mitigation efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19,” the board members wrote, adding that they were disappointed and frustrated with Brown’s announcement July 29 of the in-class face covering mandate.

“This unilateral decision, with no advance warning or opportunity for feedback, instantly removed the ability for communities to make decisions based on what is best for our community,” the board members stated. “Our students want to be in school but the mask mandate will

eliminate the ability for some of our students to access their free and appropriate public education.”

The school board mem-bers said they will uphold their oath of office but they are making a specific request to Gov. Brown, “that man-dates not be placed on school districts that remove local control and do not permit us to lead the communities for which we serve,” the board members stated.

Follow this developing story here online and in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

MANDATEFrom Page A1

Point and HOPE of Rainier begin their annual efforts to gather and prepare Christmas food baskets for the area’s needy.

One might think that the two social service agencies have been facing their great-est challenge over the past 18 months due to the COVID-19

pandemic but Miller said that is not the case.

“Going into this I felt it would have been a huge challenge and I did not know how I would fill the need that was going my way, but the support from Columbia Pa-cific Food Bank and all of the local donors has helped to keep us supplied,” she said.

Miller has been leading Turning Point for four years and took over at HOPE of Rainier approximately 18

months ago. She said she patterned her success from Turning Point in Clatskanie to HOPE of Rainier

“It was easy to model everything into Rainier and knowing right away when the pandemic hit just as I was taking over, I had no way to fundraise because fundrais-ing was shutdown, and that led me to open the new thrift store in Rainier,” she said.

The HOPE Chest Thrift Store is located at 107 E. 1st

Street in Rainier and profits are used to help sustain the local food bank.

“With me being the direc-tor of both places, Clatskanie Turning Point and Hope of Rainier, my biggest goal was to erase that line in the sand that had been drawn in the two communities,” Miller said. “My vision was to bring more resources to the collec-tive in both cities and we are accomplishing that.”

In May, Miller, and Hope

of Rainier, received the Rain-ier Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Nonprofit Business of the Year Award for efforts to help the community during the pandemic — including the organization’s partnership with Columbia Pacific Food Bank; opening the nonprofit thrift store in Rainier to pro-vide communities members with access to clothing and homewares; and partnering with the local school district to offer resources and food to

students and families.A joint fundraiser, Picnic

in the Park, for Hope of Rainier and Turning Point will be conducted at Rainier City Park the evening of Aug. 28. Miller said the event is already sold out due to com-munity and business support.

To contact Hope of Rainier, call 503-556-0701. To reach Turning Point in Clatskanie, call 503-728-3126.

HOPEFrom Page A1

Congratulations!

staff report benefit increase

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