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Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon

Congresswoman Bonamici visits St. Helens WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

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ongresswoman Suzanne Bonamici visited Columbia County recently and toured the new Broadleaf Arbor housing complex, met with the Columbia Pacific Economic Development District, and toured the Amani Center during her time in St. Helens.

Bonamici represents Oregon’s 1st congressional district, which includes Columbia County, and she said the stops on her Jan. 24 visit were inspired by the concerns she’s heard from the community.

“Typically, what I do is respond to the concerns that I’m hearing in the community,” Bonamici said. “I went to look at affordable housing because I hear about the need for more affordable housing. And my passion for children and having safe communities, and especially getting kids and students on the right path in life, I really wanted to visit the Amani Center and applaud them for the really important work they do addressing the needs of kids who have faced abuse.”

In addition to the two tours, Bonamici said that the meeting about economic development with ColPac was because she works a lot on finding ways to grow the economy.

Visit to Broadleaf Arbor Bonamici’s visit to St. Helens began at the Broadleaf Arbor housing development at 2250 Gable Road in St. Helens.

Bonamici hosted a roundtable discussion that included residents of the complex, representatives from the Northwest Oregon Housing Authority, Columbia Pacific

Suzanne Bonamici during her tour of the Broadleaf Arbor housing complex.

Food Bank, the St. Helens Senior Center, Columbia Health Services, and members of Community Development Partners who are the developers of the Broadleaf Arbor project.

The overall housing development is made up of 16 acres and 239 one, two, and three-bedroom homes available to individuals and families. The housing community seeks to serve residents of all ages and backgrounds.

Though the project’s completion was delayed due to supply chain issues, the community’s final building, intended for seniors, is almost ready to welcome tenants.

Community Development Partners CEO Eric Paine detailed what it meant to share the Broadleaf Arbor

with the congresswoman.

“Having her here to witness firsthand what’s happening; be able to meet with residents, and hear about a lot of the programming that’s going on, as well as see the completed development is really important,” Paine said. “She takes that work and the success stories back to her work that she’s doing in DC, to lobby for more resources. The only way that these developments happen is by having that support at the federal level for funding.”

Regarding affordable housing legislation, Bonamici referenced Section 8 vouchers and a lowincome housing tax credit during the roundtable discussion and in a later interview with The Chronicle

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& The Chief.

“This morning, I mentioned some of the affordable housing pieces of legislation, whether it be more funding for people to get vouchers to help them into an affordable housing unit,” Bonamici said. “The low-income housing tax credit, which I mentioned, is really important to build more affordable housing.”

The 11-building complex is made up of walk-up style apartment buildings, townhomes, a senior housing building, and a central community and resident services building homes for households making up to 60% of the area’s median income (AMI) levels ($63,900 for a family of four), according to its website.

In addition to providing affordable housing, the project aims to put people first by creating spaces and programming that connects residents across generations, according to Broadleaf Arbor’s website.

One of the residents present at the roundtable was Lois Hudson.

Hudson is a peer support specialist by trade, but she enjoys working with other residents within Broadleaf.

“I work with a lot of women, and I work with people in my community right here. I help if they need a ride to get food or go to a meeting,” Hudson said. “I also work with the children; I do craft classes with them, I’ve taken them on walks around the building in the summertime, just stuff like that.

Just to help my community and bring us together.”

Hudson moved into Broadleaf Arbor in May of 2023, and she said it’s been exciting to see as more of the buildings become inhabited.

The connections Hudson has been able to make are precisely what the design of the community hopes to encourage.

Wendy Klein, the Senior Development Manager for Community Development Partners, led Bonamici on the tour of the facility and detailed what developers did to strengthen bonds within the community.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity, especially when the seniors move in, for them to be engaged with the kids on site,” Klein said. “We’re specifically creating things in the built environment to enhance that.”

Hudson’s experience echoes

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Levy proposed to support SHPD WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

Members of the St. Helens City Council passed a resolution to put a five-year local option levy on the primary election ballot in May that would raise $0.69 per $1,000 of assessed value to support hiring more police officers for the St. Helens Police Department (SHPD).

The levy will appear on the ballot as the Creation of Police Protection Services Staff Funding Local Option Tax. The initial rate proposed for the levy at the Jan. 29 special meeting was $0.52 per $1,000 of assessed value over five years beginning in the fiscal year 2024-2025. The projected yield of the levy over the five years would be $604,411 for the first year, $628,587 for the second year, $653,731 in the third year, $679,881 in the fourth year, and $707,076 in the fifth year. The council voted against the initial rate and amended

the amount to $0.69 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The higher rate would raise the levy’s yield to about $800,000 per year. The levy would raise enough funds to hire and fully equip three officers for the SHPD, with more leeway than initially offered by the $.052 rate.

City Councilor Mark Gundersen said that though a higher levy rate would be less likely to pass, he wanted to ensure that if it passed, it would bring in more needed money to support the police and public safety.

Councilor Brandon Sundeen echoed the sentiment.

“We don’t know until we ask for it, but to me it just doesn’t make sense to ask for much less than what we need,” Sundeen said.

At a Jan. 24 meeting of the St. Helens City Council, the city resolved to advertise two open police officer positions. Mayor Rick Scholl said the city “closed the gap with the permit

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The St. Helens City Council will bring a levy to support police staffing to the voters this May.

funding” it had available to hire two officers.

“You have already given them the ability to open it up for two officers.

This could be passed in May, which would roll right into that same application process and just hopefully have some laterals that are qualified to police right away,” Scholl said.

Scholl also said he hopes that

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through the budgetary process, the city will be able to hire another officer.

The motion to amend to the rate of $0.69 per $1,000 of assessed value passed 3-1, with Scholl, Sundeen, and Gundersen voting for it and Councilor Russell Hubbard voting against it.

Council President Jessica Chilton was not present.

The proposed ballot measure only needs a majority to pass the levy during the May special election.

The council and staff believe there is a good chance the measure will get above the fifty percent of votes needed.

When discussing the recourse if the levy fails, councilors said they would need to consider raising the public safety fee on the water bill.

City Administrator John Walsh said that the council could also put another levy on the November ballot if the election in May did not see the levy passed.

Regarding the public safety fee on the water bill, Sundeen said that he believes the city needs to do a better job informing the public about the fee and the way it works.

“I’ve just seen so much where people don’t understand why it’s on their water bill, they don’t know where it’s going,” Sundeen said. “If we had been communicating that better, there’s a possibility people would have been more receptive to it.”

Scholl said that the benefit of bringing the levy to voters would be that the public could have their voices heard through the election process.

Councilors expressed that they are working to meet the immediate needs of police and that the levy will be just one of the ways they hope to address the ongoing police staffing crisis.

“Our officers deserve the opportunity to back them. They’re a good group of officers, and I encourage people to get behind them and vote, ‘Yes,’” Scholl said.

celebrated her 35th birthday.

“I don’t live around here, so just seeing all the people that knew her, I was like, ‘Holy cow,’ I had no idea,” Keziah Ford said.

Jadzia Ford described Rhiannon as someone who could create instant connections with people she had never met.

“She never met a stranger.

Never. Everybody was her friend or her family, she loved everybody,” Jadzia Ford said.

The entire family said that Rhiannon was a hugger through and through. It didn’t matter if it was the first or the hundredth time meeting someone; Rhiannon was always ready to give a hug.

Meyer said that Rhiannon was loved by her family and the people she met. She could walk into a bar or restaurant, and she would know at least half the people in there.

Meyer said they were always happy to see Rhiannon because “they knew they would get a hug.”

Rhiannon loved many things.

Crocheting, drawing, gardening, cats, her friends, driving in the woods, and most of all, spending time with her daughter Amelia, according to her family.

Rhiannon Meyer was “unapologetically herself” WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

Rhiannon Meyer and her daughter Amelia Stencil.

Courtesy photo from Keziah Ford

“Fun,” “caring,” “outgoing,” “old soul,” “unapologetically herself,” “great with kids,” “goofball,” “adventurous,” “quirky.”

These are just some of the words Rhiannon Meyer’s family used to describe her.

The Chronicle & Chief sat down with Rhiannon’s sister, Keziah Ford, her brother-in-law, Jeremy Ford, her niece, Jadzia Ford, her nephew, Tristen Williams, and mother, Debi Meyer, to get to know more about Rhiannon so that the community could too.

On Dec. 19, 2023, Rhiannon was tragically killed at her home in Scappoose. Rhiannon had lived in Scappoose for more than ten years and made countless connections during her time in the community.

More than 250 people gathered for Rhiannon’s celebration of life, which took place Jan. 21, 2024.

On Jan. 23, Rhiannon would have

Police Reports .............................. A3 News and Views ........................... A4 Poll .................................................. A4 Community Calendar ...................... A4

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She never met a stranger.

Never. Everybody was her friend or her family, she loved everybody, ~ Jadzia Ford said.

The family described Rhiannon as someone who marched to the beat of her own drum. Rhiannon would wear outfits that would clash, but as Jadzia Ford put it: “She made it look good. Even

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Contact The Chronicle & CHief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 Email: chroniclenews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd.,St. Helens, OR 97051

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

High School Highlights

SHSD presents Community Impact Awards SUBMITTED BY ST. HELENS SCHOOL DISTRICT

During the St. Helens School District (SHSD) board meeting on January 24, 2024, School Board Chair Melody Killens, fellow School Board members, and Superintendent Stockwell presented Community Impact Awards to Hayley VanWinkle, Scott Pieper, and Shanna Duggan.

The awards are presented to a student, a staff member, and a community member to recognize their contributions to the St. Helens School District.

Hayley VanWinkle

Courtesy photo from SHSD

Hayley VanWinkle

Plymouth High School student Hayley VanWinkle

was presented with the Student Community Impact Award. Hayley received this honor in recognition of her exemplary dedication and professionalism while serving as a student intern.

Throughout her time as a student intern, Hayley has consistently demonstrated a genuine heart for others.

Her compassion and empathy make her a standout team member, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere at the central office.

Having dedicated three class periods a day to her internship, Hayley approaches her responsibilities with the utmost professionalism.

Despite being a student, she treats her duties as if they were a real job, showcasing a level of maturity and responsibility that is beyond her years. This commitment not only reflects her work ethic but also adds tremendous value to the office environment.

Hayley’s excellence shines through in her ability to handle a variety of tasks.

Whether it’s answering questions or addressing issues that come her way, she handles each situation with grace and competence. Her confidence is evident in the way she approaches challenges, demonstrating a resilience that is

truly inspiring.

Hayley has proven to be a great addition to our team.

Her professionalism, dedication, and positive attitude make her an exemplary student intern.

We want to express our appreciation and gratitude to Hayley. Her impact goes beyond her role, leaving a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to work alongside her.

St. Helens Middle School teacher Scott Pieper received the Staff Community Impact Award. Scott received this honor in recognition of his dedication and passion for supporting the success and development of his students.

Scott is a dedicated teacher who prides himself on being available when needed, which is why he is typically the first one in the building and one of the last teachers to leave the building at the end of the day. His commitment to education goes beyond the typical classroom responsibilities, as evidenced by his mentorship of three STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) teachers over the past four years in our new facility.

Scott’s impact surpasses the traditional teacher-student relationship. His passion for learning is evident, especially when observing students completing projects or mastering intricate tasks with the tools in our STEAM classrooms. This infectious enthusiasm establishes an environment where students are not just involved but motivated to dive into and understand the subjects before them.

Scott has a passion for learning and providing the best quality education to his students. This is evident from the most recent announcement that Scott has been awarded a Makerspace Mini-Grant from the NW STEM Hub, which allows its recipients to create or expand their school maker spaces.

learn about each class,” CMHS Music, Drama, and Art teacher Jamie Erwin said.

“We are very lucky to have such a wide variety in a small school,” said Erwin earlier, when talking about the fair. Helping students learn about future courses is a win/win for both teachers and students.

Following the elective fair, students, attendees were able to view the extensive amount of art on display, all created by

CMHS art students.

Next stop was the auditorium for the band concerts, performed by the High School Rock Band, the High School Concert Band and the Middle School Band.

The Middle School Band and the High School Band combined for two pieces.

The High School Band also featured their student lead piece that will be performed at the Solo and Ensemble Competition this spring.

The band members had

a few trepidations considering a week was lost due to weather conditions, but it went off without a hitch.

“It was a great evening celebrating the amazing activities that CMHS has to offer,” said Erwin.

On Feb. 1, there will be a “Night of Vocal Music,” held by the CMHS Choir, along with the Clatskanie Community Choir. This will take place in the Donavon Wooley Performing Arts Center located in the CHMS Auditorium.

Scott Pieper

Courtesy photo from SHSD

Scott Pieper

We are grateful for Scott’s passion and the expertise he brings to St. Helens Middle School. He is an invaluable member of our team, and his dedication and commitment to St. Helens Middle School and its students are commendable.

Shanna Duggan

Courtesy photo from SHSD

Shanna Duggan

St. Helens community member Shanna Duggan was awarded the Community Impact Award. Shanna received this honor in recognition of her unwavering commitment to ensuring affordable and accessible programming for the St. Helens community.

Since the City of St. Helens and the St. Helens School District first joined forces as community partners in 2018,

Shanna has been a driving force and an integral member of the successful partnership.

With a shared vision to provide a much-needed, streamlined recreation program to the St. Helens community, Shanna immersed herself in creating accessible programming for students and community members.

In 2023, this partnership led to the allocation of $1,178,590 in funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Center After School Program, which will support the program for the next five years, ensuring its continued growth and impact.

This monumental achievement would not have been possible without the vision and dedication of Shanna Duggan and former Director Matt Doyle, who spearheaded the grant-writing process.

She is a bright light in the St. Helens community and has a heart for bringing its members together and building a sense of community. We want to express our profound gratitude to Shanna Duggan for her unwavering commitment and dedication to the St. Helens community, her positive impact, and her heartfelt efforts to foster a sense of community among St. Helens residents.

CMHS Art Show, Elective Fair, and Concert LAUREY WHITE Chronicle & Chief Guest Article

Clatskanie Middle/High School (CMHS) hosted an elective fair, an art show and a concert Jan. 24.

The first order of the night was the Elective Fair held by CMHS. The elective fair provided information about classes that they might not have heard about before.

“Students had a chance to talk to the teachers and

Courtesy photo from Jamie Erwin

The elective fair allowed students to learn about unique classes offered by CMHS staff.

School Board Appreciation Month

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BILL AMOS Courtesy photo

SUBMITTED BY ST. HELENS SCHOOL DISTRICT

January is School Board Appreciation Month, and we want to take this time to highlight one of our amazing school board members, Bill Amos.

A resident of Columbia County since 1970, Bill Amos has been a St. Helens School District Board Member for over nine years.

In speaking to Bill about why he chose to become a school board member, he stated, “For me, it has always been about what is best for our students, so I applied for a vacant position when I saw in the Chronicle that things were not going smoothly. I was hopeful that I could be helpful without being too disruptive.”

When asked about what he is most proud of while being on the school board, Bill stated, “I am proud of the

fact that we have regained the trust of the community as shown by their incredible support of our students and our schools; both now and well into the future. Our teachers and support staff are doing great work, using innovative methods, through the most challenging of times as they help prepare our students for their future endeavors. There is much to celebrate.”

Thank you, Bill, for your service!

SAUVIE ISLAND SCHOOL Middle School Information Night

Open to all interested; not limited to Sauvie Island residents 14445 NW Charlton Rd., Portland, OR. 97231 Thursday, February 8, 2024. 6:00 to 7:15 pm. Pizza provided PLEASE RSVP online here: Middle School Info Night RSVP Middle School Information Night at Sauvie Island School is a great way for current and prospective middle school (grades 6-8) families to learn about our school (sauvieislandschool.org). Find out about our place-based approach to education, experiential learning, and emphasis on community stewardship.

Teachers, students, and alumni will share their experiences and answer your questions.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The police blotter relates to the public record of incidents 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 enforcement agency.

unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle.

St. Helens Police Department

January 20 • Officers arrested a 30-yearold male subject on a fugitive warrant near Pittsburg Road and Vernonia Road.

January 16 • Police arrested a 35-year-old male subject on a fail to perform duties of driver, driving while revoked, and detainer at the 100 block of St. Helens Street.

January 17 • Officers arrested a 50-yearold female subject for

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The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

January 19 • Police investigated a theft of a firearm at the 200 block of North 7th Street.

• Officers arrested a 32-yearold female subject on a fugitive warrant at the 200 block of 18th Street.

January 22 • Police arrested a 31-year-old male subject on a restraining order violation at 901 Port Avenue.

• Officers arrested a 28-yearold male subject for driving while suspended, fugitive

Police Reports

warrant, drug offenses, probation violation, and unlawful possession of firearms at the 100 block of Columbia River Highway.

1600 block of Old Portland Road.

January 23 • Police arrested an 18-yearold male subject for disorderly conduct at the 2000 block of Columbia Boulevard.

• Officers arrested a 33-yearold female subject on a fugitive warrant at 901 Port Avenue.

January 17 • An officer responded to a business alarm that was accidentally activated.

• A suspicious vehicle was reported in the Plaza parking lot. The vehicle checked out okay.

• A caller reported a suspicious-looking person behind a building. An officer made contact with the person, who was fine.

• Officers made contact with an individual to check on their welfare.

• An intoxicated individual who was making threats of self-harm was transported voluntarily to a medical facility.

January 26 • Police arrested a 30-year-old male subject on burglary I of residence, criminal trespass I, and harassment-offensive physical contact at 700 Matzen Street.

• Officers arrested a 43-yearold male subject for probation violation and driving while suspended or revoked at the

Rainier Police Department

January 18 • A resident called saying that they believed a person to be under their house. The premises was found to be secure.

January 20 • A dog was found on East A Street. The dog and its owner were reunited shortly after.

• An officer responded to a business alarm. After checking the building, it was properly secured.

January 22 • A suspicious vehicle was checked on and found to be okay.

January 23 • A caller reported an ongoing issue with neighboring dogs. The call was forwarded to animal control.

• An employee called to report that a customer was extremely angry and argumentative. Peace was restored.

• A caller reported a suspicious looking man that appeared to be hiding behind some bushes. The mystery man jumped a fence and fled the area. Officers were not able to locate him.

• A caller reported seeing a small child crawling on the side of the road on a skateboard. An officer checked the area, but no children were observed in the area.

January 24 • A citizen reported seeing a male attempting to gain entry into their car. The reporting party did not wish to file a report.

• An officer checked on a reportedly suspicious truck.

SHPD announces Service Award Recipients STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

The St. Helens Police Department (SHPD) has announced 2023 commendation awards recognizing St. Helens officers for their exemplary service, conduct, and lifesaving efforts that went above and beyond the normal high standards of their positions. A St. Helens officer of the year has also been announced.

Officer of the Year Patrol Officer Luke Marshall was selected as the St. Helens Police Department’s Officer of the Year. Officer Marshall is described by his peers as humble, hardworking, and proactive. He was recognized for his conduct on two separate occasions in 2023, with one incident involving a sexual assault in progress that he discovered on duty. Officer Marshall not only managed to conduct an outstanding investigation, but he also ensured that the victim received emergency medical treatment. Officer Marshall’s professionalism

and dedication reflect the SHPD’s continued commitment to providing the best possible police service to our community.

Officer Commendations

In addition to officer of the year, the SHPD has awarded multiple commendations to officers for extraordinary accomplishments in 2023.

Commendations are given to recognize exemplary officer conduct that goes beyond the high level of professional conduct expected of employees of the SHPD. A Commendations Board reviews and approves the recommendations for commendation. The St. Helens lieutenant oversees the board and additional members include one sergeant and three officers. Department members take turns serving on the Board.

Life Saving Award The Life Saving Award is given to an officer for an extraordinary act or effort that resulted in the saving

of a human life or lives that would have died without the officer’s direct involvement.

This may include a situation involving more than routine first aid, steadfast medical intervention, life threatening immediate emergency situations that an officer was not trained or equipped to handle, or heroic physical intervention.

Officers Jamin Coy and Kolten Edwards have been recognized for life saving efforts performed in response to a citizen who was discovered unresponsive near the Columbia City walking trail.

Officers administered Narcan and performed CPR, which resulted in the citizen being successfully transported to the hospital.

Sergeant Jon Eggers and Officer Matthew Molden received the Life Saving Award for responding to a citizen who suffered a medical emergency at their residence. Officer Molden performed CPR while Sergeant Eggers successfully deployed an AED. The citizen was successfully transported to the hospital.

Officers Jamin Coy, Jona-

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Positions are Full-time. We will also consider applicants for freelance work.

We offer an above average wage with paid holidays, health insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and more!

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thon Anderson, and Jeremy Howell have been recognized for their response to a citizen who reported their 4-year-old child was trapped underneath a large toolbox with severe injuries. Officers arrived, provided direct emergency medical assistance, and the child was successfully transported to the hospital. The child made a complete recovery.

Exemplary Service Award

The Exemplary Service Award is presented to an individual or unit for a singular accomplishment of substance without risk to personal safety but under adverse and difficult conditions.

Sergeants Jon Eggers and Matthew Smith and Officers Dylan Gaston, Kolten Edwards, and Luke Marshall received this award for their response to a shooting which occurred at the St. Helens McDonald’s. Officers arrived and discovered that a suspect had nearly crashed into the victim while driving and then attempted to shoot the victim in the parking lot. Officers located and arrested the suspect and executed a search warrant on the suspect’s vehicle which

resulted in the recovery of a firearm.

Sergeant Douglas Treat and Officer Luke Marshall received the Exemplary Service Award for their part in responding to a sexual assault that was discovered in progress while they were on duty. Sergeant Treat and Officer Marshall were able to obtain statements from the victim and the suspect, and the suspect was arrested for a litany of sexual offenses.

Sergeant Treat and Officer Marshall also ensured that the victim received emergency medical treatment.

Sergeants Jon Eggers and Matthew Smith and Officers Jamin Coy, Brandon Haflich, and Adam Hartless for a stalking investigation where a victim located four different GPS trackers hidden on her vehicle. Officers completed multiple search warrants for the tracking data, banking records, and the suspect’s residence. The suspect was indicted and arrested for a litany of charges.

Officers Johnathon Sprinzl and Adam Raethke for determining that a suspect, wanted for a shooting in a nearby jurisdiction, had relocated to

St. Helens. Officer Raethke and Sprinzl developed a ruse which lured the suspect out from his residence and safely took him into custody without incident.

Community Service Award

This commendation is awarded to an individual member, or to a unit acting as a team, for rendering an extraordinary service to the community without risk to personal safety.

Sergeant Jon Eggers and Officers Bryan Cutright, Adam Raethke, Dylan Gaston, and Johnathon Sprinzl have been recognized for their investigation regarding a person suspected of selling fentanyl in Columbia County.

This investigation resulted in the seizure of 562 fentanyl pills, 27.3 grams of powder fentanyl, 9.2 grams of methamphetamine, and $1,863.36 in cash. The suspect was indicted by a Columbia County Grand Jury for a litany of charges related to this investigation. The recovery of these dangerous drugs undoubtedly saved lives and was an enormous service to the St. Helens community.

CRFR, other agencies rescue dog in St. Helens WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

When a dog got stuck on a steep incline near the Columbia Botanical Gardens in St. Helens, members of the Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) and other agencies jumped into action to save the pup in peril.

Smudge, the dog, went missing on Jan. 22. Mandy Tardio, the daughter of Smudge’s owner, Rick Clarke, posted on Facebook that the dog had been hit by a car and ran off.

“Please keep an eye out [for] my dad’s dog, Smudge.

He was hit by a car in the St. Helens Elks lodge parking and took off running towards the trails,” Tardio said in a post to the Concerned Citizens of Columbia County Facebook page on Jan. 22.

The post gained traction on social media, and the hunt for Smudge began. Tardio said that a lot of people came “out of the woodwork” after seeing the post to help them find the dog. Smudge was found by Clarke’s neighbor, Cindy Lorenz, and Clarke’s brother, David Clarke, on Jan. 24.

“They’d been searching the trails because he took off in that direction. We had been out on the trails for the last two days. They went up to that cliff area, and her dog, Oz, was barking at the cliffs,” Tardio said.

“She couldn’t see anything, [they] stayed there for about

Courtesy photo

Smudge the dog following the rescue at the Botanical Gardens, St. Helens, OR.

5 to 10 minutes, and then Smudge poked his head to the outside, and they were able to locate him.”

It seems that Smudge fell from the trail above and got stuck on a steep incline, cliff-like terrain, and after finding him, CRFR was alerted.

“Units from St. Helens Fire Station 471 arrived on the scene and assessed the situation, determining that the dog could not be rescued by conventual means and requested assistance from the Columbia County Technical Rescue Team (TRT),” a CRFR Facebook post said.

The TRT is made up of members from the various fire departments in Columbia County who have specialized training in high and low-angle rescues. CRFR, Mist/Birkenfeld Fire District, and Scappoose Fire District assisted in the secure rescue of the animal.

“When the tactical team got there, they set up the

drones, they had a rope team, and they were able to come down. My dad was talking to Smudge, making sure that he was not getting spooked. Our fear was that if he got spooked, he could fall off that cliff,” Tardio said. “It was pretty nervewracking; once he came to the ground, it was just relief at seeing that he was OK.” Smudge seemed to be in good health despite being hit by a car and being out in the elements for about two days.

Tardio said her dad was pretty emotional after the ordeal but incredibly grateful to have his dog back by his side. Smudge will be going to the vet today to make sure that there are no health issues after his harrowing adventure.

Tardio expressed gratitude to the rescuers who saved Smudge and noted the immense support and assistance from all over the community during the search.

“We were in the woods for, gosh, probably 12 hours a day, daylight, non-daylight, people who saw the [Facebook] post were out searching with flashlights.

I ran into a lot of people on trails all hours of the night,” Tardio said. “There were probably 50 people out of the community who came to help look for Smudge.

We just don’t have enough words of gratitude. It was absolutely amazing to see the support in the community.”

Bethany Lutheran Church 43rd

Annual Quilt Show Quilt Raffle • Bake Sale • Fresh Brewed Paintings • Craft Vendors Feb. 9 & Feb. 10 • From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day Enjoy homemade, soups, salads, sandwiches, & pie for donation or takeout for a fee. Display Quilts accepted at the church Sun, Feb 4th 3-5pm or Thurs, Feb 8th 10am-3pm.

34721 Church Rd, Warren, OR 97053

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

News and Views

Garden Plots: Cold weather complications about the winter cluster and what is happening inside the hive. All are welcome to attend. Contact Linda Zahl at ColumbiaCountyOregonBeekeepers@gmail.com for the zoom link or attend in person at the OSU Extension Office.

Metro Creative Connection

CHIP BUBL Garden Plots Chronicle & Chief Guest Column The climate in Western Oregon is a plant-lovers dream. Cool winters and mild, dry summers allow the gardener to build a landscape with a great diversity of plant types and species. This may get us into trouble. We get complacent and then an arctic express descends. Plants that are marginally hardy (a product of their evolutionary genetics) do not survive without additional protection.

We have experienced temperatures into the teens and snow accumulating (and in some places, along with ice) in many areas up to 8 inches or more. There is a question whether some plants had moved into deep enough dormancy to survive intensely cold days.

Most native plants should be fine. Some marginal ornamental plants may show serious damage and so may plants in unprotected smaller containers.

Sun and wind scald of leaves is the most common winter injury. This occurs on cold sunny days. Evergreen plants (rhodies, conifers, etc.) transpire water through the leaves but due to cold

times healing over the injury but often developing fungal infections that eventually finish what the cold weather started.

This injury is most common on trees or shrubs that are marginally not coldhardy enough for our area.

If you wish to grow those plants, they must be put in a somewhat protected location.

White-washing the trunks of trees with exterior white latex paint may offer some protection.

Ice storms also take their toll on limbs or entire trees.

Ice accumulations of ¼ to ½ inches will cause small branches to break. As the ice load goes above ½ inch, limbs and entire trees are at risk.

Trees on slopes are most susceptible to toppling since they tend to lean naturally.

Trees on wet sites or with shallow root systems are also prone to fall. Fortunately, in this storm cycle, we didn’t get the wind than part of Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah Counties got.

Pruning to remove some of the branch area may help some trees survive a severe ice event. There are some trees (conifers and a few hardwoods like sweetgum, ginkgo, oaks, and black walnut) that show great resistance to ice damage.

Retirement

ground conditions, cannot replace the water from the roots. Leaves or needles will turn brown, usually at the outer edges furthest from the veins. Covering the shrubs or planting susceptible varieties in a less exposed position can prevent the damage. Generally, this type of injury is not life-threatening to the tree or shrub.

The most devastating winter injury is damage to the trunks of young trees or shrubs. During extremely cold weather, the bark may be frozen and after thawing, splits or separates from the wood, thus girdling the tree.

This destroys the “plumbing” and the tree can’t move food or water from the roots to the top. In the spring, the tree may leaf out only to wither and die a week or two later.

Sunken or cracked bark may show up after the cold weather though that is not true in all cases. Often the tree may be damaged but not completely bark-girdled. It will then limp along, some-

I am retiring at the end of January. Eventually, there will be a replacement in the office but it often takes three months or more for that hiring process to be completed and the person on staff.

But if you have questions on any of these topics or other home garden and/or farm questions in the meantime, you will still be able to email me (and give me a number where you can be reached) at chip.bubl@oregonstate.edu.

Master Gardener™ class signups being taken for 2024 class in St. Helens February 20th through early May: 2024 Columbia County/OSU Master Gardener™ classes: Sign-ups being taken now. You can register immediately online at https:// beav.es/qBc or visit https:// extension.oregonstate.edu/ mg/columbia/course-contenthow-join to learn more about becoming an OSU Master Gardener. Registration is entirely online this year. If you need assistance with the online registration please contact Kym Luth at 503-397-3462 or by email at Kym.Luth@oregonstate.edu.

Other events: Feb. 1 Columbia County Beekeepers Monthly meeting.

Thursday, February 1 at 7p.m. Linda Zahl will talk

The Country County Chronicle & Chief (USPS 610-380) is published weekly by Country Media, Inc. 1805 S. Columbia Blvd., P.O. Box 1153 St. Helens, Oregon 97051. Periodicals postage paid at St. Helens, OR 97051

Feb. 18 Annual Grafting Workshop Saturday, Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. - noon in the OSU Extension office in St. Helens. Participants will receive instruction on grafting and have five rootstocks that they can graft any of a number of different apples onto their root-stocks in the workshop. Cost: $20. We can only accept 15 people since knives will be in use and we need space to keep everyone safe. You can preregister by calling 503-3973462 (the Columbia County Extension office).

March 2 Columbia County Small Woodlands Tree Sale New Date and Place. The Columbia County Small Woodlands Association has an annual tree sale in St. Helens. You can purchase a variety of trees in very small quantities. The sale this year will be on Saturday, March 1 at the Columbia County Fairground in St. Helens from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

They sell both forest tree seedlings, some native shrubs, and some ornamental tree seedlings. Get there early for the best selection. It is very well attended.

Online Bee School Columbia County Oregon Beekeepers will join Tualatin Valley Beekeepers Association for their online Bee School March 18, 19, and 21.

Then we will have our own Field Day on April 6 or 15 depending on the weather in Trenholm. For registration contact Linda Zahl Columbiacountyoregonbeekeepers@ gmail.com.

Got food safety or food preservation questions?

Give us a call at 503-3973462. You can also get your pressure gauge tested for free at the Extension office. Food Preservation recipes and fact sheets can be accessed online at: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/food/preservation Important notes • Donate extra garden produce and/or money to the food bank, senior centers, or community meals programs.

It always is greatly appreciated.

• The Extension Service offers its programs and materials equally to all people.

• The OSU Extension Office is fully open from 8 a.m. .- 5 p.m.

Resource information Oregon State University Extension Service – Columbia County 505 N. Columbia River Highway St. Helens, OR 97051 503-397-3462

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chronicle PO Box 1153 St. Helens, OR 97051-8153

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CONTACT US • Phone: (503) 397-0116 • Fax: (503) 397-4093 Website: www.thechronicleonline.com • www.thechiefnews.com Editorial: chroniclenews@countrymedia.net • chiefnews@countrymedia.net ADVERTISE WITH US: Display ads: chronicleads@countrymedia.net Classified ads: chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net FOLLOW US • facebook.com/sthelenschronicle or twitter.com/shchronicle

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Voices of the Community

Less is more

Speaking from my life as a St. Helens resident for the last 64 years (born and raised).

We always did just fine here, without 13 Nights.

Without Halloweentown.

It’s time to let them go.

Downtown is not and never should be thought of as a tourist attraction. It’s a small area meant for the towns people to enjoy.

Let all the people that are moving here figure out their own way to be amused and entertained.

Our town is not set up for thousands of people for one day. St. Helens has always been a prosperous town. All the free services and free food does not attract the hardworking people needed by all communities.

Cut out the freebies and the tourist attractions and we will all be just fine.

When I was growing up here, the people who ran the city were good people. We need to find some good honest people to run our town for the taxpaying residents.

Our town has always looked out for its residents and first responders. Not people who are coming here for some useless expensive and unmanageable event. Just like people and families who are forced to tighten their

belts and downsize.

St. Helens needs to stop all the squandering of the taxpayers money. Someone with some good old fashioned common sense is badly needed right now.

I fully support police and fire. I would much rather look at a new police station, than a brand-new food bank. I am really not that proud of the new food bank. But I would be very proud of a new police station.

Susie Jauron St. Helens

Pat, Jim, Rich, John, Doug B., Mike and Doug L. And CERT/SAR member Deb. The number of wreaths placed for Christmas 2023 more than doubled the number in 2022, our first year doing this event. We hope we can double that number for our 2024 event which will take place on December 14th. If you would like to help us reach our goal, please consider sponsoring a wreath or two through our WAA website: www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/OR0082P. Again, thank you to all that helped to make this possible.

Wreaths Across Doug Walker St. Helens America update A field of On Friday, January 26, syringes the 300+ Christmas wreaths that were placed on veteran’s graves at Columbia View Cemetery in December were retired. Most of the wreaths removed were donated to the Columbia County Animal Shelter where they will use the frames to make wreaths to sell as a fundraiser.

Hometown Heroes of Columbia County want to recognize and thank those that helped make the wreath retirement a pretty quick task.

A special thank you to Highway 30 Cruisers members Joe, Bonnie, Roy, Jan, Dave,

Frustrating story. While running along Pittsburg Road yesterday (I know, not the best idea), I had to run through a field of syringes with needles. They look new/ unused, but I can’t be sure.

The shoulder of Pittsburg from Robinette to Allendale had syringes or pieces of them. The worst was closest to Robinette and included both sides of the road.

Lee Pagni St. Helens

Community Events February 1 First Place for Health Meeting 6 p.m. at Warren Baptist Church, room 211. First Place for Health is an approach to health and wellness that considers healthy eating as well as balance emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. For questions, call Becky at 503396-3041 or visit the website firstplaceforhealth.com.

February 6 Job Connection Meet the Employment Specialist 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at the Columbia Center in St. Helens.

February 8 Hometown Heroes of Columbia County Meeting 5:30 p.m. in the lobby at the Sheriff’s Department, 901 Port Ave., St. Helens. For questions, contact Malinda at 503-366-4611.

February 9 Beyond The Forest events presents: give, live, laugh, love - A fundraiser for lifempowered 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at 105 Port Ave., St. Helens. Enjoy dinner, drinks and comedy (ages 21+) featuring Todd Basil, Jaren George and Marietje Hauprich.

For tickets and sponsorship opportunities please contact

Cassie at cassief@lifemp.org or 971-708-3767 or Hayley at beyondtheforestevents@gmail. com or 503-984-4456.

February 11 Valentine’s Tea at Caples House 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. $35 per person at Caples House, 1925 First St, Columbia City. For questions call 503-397-5390. Bring a loved one for something wonderful.

February 18 3 Leg Torso Performance 3 p.m. - 3 Leg Torso formed in 1996 as a violin, cello and accordion trio with the mission of creating original modern chamber music for their unique instrumentation. Ticket prices: Adults $25; Seniors (60+) and Students $23; Children $20. Tickets are available online at clatskaniearts.org or by calling Elsa at 503-7283403. If available, tickets will be sold at the door on the day of the concert.

February 22 Scappoose Goodwill Job Connection Job Fair 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Job Connection is holding a Job Fair at the Scappoose Library, 52469 SE 2nd Street.

February 25 Leapin’ Louie Performance 3 p.m. – Free family performance of Leapin’ Louie who uses circus, cowboy tricks, a six-foot unicycle, and lots of comedy to explore all those wild critters, including us, who fly. Presented by The Clatskanie Arts Commission, Birkenfeld Theatre, 75 S. Nehalem Street in Clatskanie.

March 10 Skamokawa Swamp Opera 3 p.m. - Skamokawa Swamp Opera – definitely not an opera!

Presented by The Clatskanie Arts Commission, Birkenfeld Theatre, 75 S. Nehalem Street in Clatskanie.

April 14 Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters 3 p.m. - Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters featuring a 6-piece band. Tickets available at clatskaniearts.org.

Presented by The Clatskanie Arts Commission, Birkenfeld Theatre, 75 S. Nehalem Street in Clatskanie.

To list an event in the Community Calendar, email details with a phone number to chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia. net, or call 503-397-0116.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

A5

The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

Obituaries Laura M. MacArthur Laura M. MacArthur, 91, passed quietly in the company of loved ones on Jan. 1, 2024 at 3:10 a.m.

She was a Mercy Ship volunteer, activities director, clown college and supporter of the local animal shelter.

Loving, selfless and kind would sum up my mother’s life. She will truly be missed by those that knew her. Mom loved her place on Logie Trail Road, where she could be found playing with her dog Desi. Her last ten years were spent in St. Helens.

Barbara J. (Moorhead) Owens March 15, 1937 ~ Jan. 25, 2024

Barbara J. (Moorhead) Owens, 86, passed away Thurs., Jan. 25, 2024, at Yorktown Manor after fighting liver cancer. She was born March 15, 1937, in St. Helens, Oregon, and graduated from St. Helens High School in 1955.

She married Tom Owens on Nov. 18, 1961, and they had three daughters, Kathy and twins, Jean and Joan. In years past, Barbara worked for J.K. Gill, Portland, Oregon; Skaggs Automotive, Spokane, Washington; and

Community Care Center, Muncie, Indiana. Barbara

enjoyed spending time with family, including her cat grandbaby, Willow; reading at home; going for car rides; listening to music; and watching Agatha Christie/Hercule Poirot. There was nothing Tom and Barbara wouldn’t do for their children – they were always there to help.

Barbara is survived by her daughter Joan Owens, and granddaughter Skylar Richwine.

She was preceded in death by her husband Tom; daughters, Kathy and Jean;

brothers, Harold and Lee; and parents, Madeleine and Abraham.

Barbara was an active member of Springport Christian Church and especially enjoyed their Sunday lunches and Thursday suppers. In lieu of flowers, Barbara requested that any memorial contributions be made to Springport Christian Church, 509 W Main St, Springport, IN 47386.

There will be a funeral at Springport Christian Church soon.

Hyrum Dewey Kearsley Sept. 15, 1926 ~ Jan. 23, 2024

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Dewey worked in the logging industry for over four decades. He was an avid golfer. Dewey loved sports, coached Little League baseball, was on the first wrestling team at St.

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Patricia passed away Nov. 30, 2023 from a long illness. She was born Feb. 13, 1953 to Richard Leroy and Madeline Margaret Cantril, She was with her sisters when she passed away.

She is survived by her sisters, Linda Burns from

Kelso and Liz Roby from Longview; daughter Kimberly Cantril Yeager from St. Helens; niece Pamala Reese; and nephew Billy Morgan.

Patricia married Daniel Gene Phelan in June 1973 and after 41 years of marriage, he passed away

August 2014.

She attended St. Frederic School and St. Helens High School. She loved bowling and her family.

She was cremated and her ashes will be spread with her husband, Daniel Phelan, as she requested.

There will be no services.

MEYER

Rhiannon’s friend Danielle Robb organized a GoFundMe to raise money to pay for a memorial stone for Rhiannon at Vernonia Cemetery. In the description for the GoFundMe page, Robb said that though Rhiannon was cremated, she and several friends have talked about having a memorial to visit in her honor. To donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/prrtv-rhiannon.

to mood swings, and she struggled with her condition and came into conflict with the “people she loved most.”

Meyer lived with Rhiannon in her Scappoose home to help her as a result of her brain injury.

In her time taking care of Rhiannon, Meyer saw Rhiannon at her highest and lowest points. Though Rhiannon would lash out due to mood swings brought on by the brain trauma, Rhiannon would always regret her outbursts and struggled with how she would act when she got angry and lost control.

“I lived with her; we got along great. We had our fights, and some were horrible. But in the end, 10 minutes later, [she’d say] ‘I love you mom, I don’t know why I said that,” Meyer said.

Keziah Ford said Rhiannon was tough to deal with at times because she remained headstrong and individualistic despite her condition. Though there were really tough days living with TBI, Meyer said that Rhiannon “loved life.”

With the way the injury impacted her every day, Keziah Ford said that it was difficult on Rhiannon’s daughter, Amelia.

“Rhiannon and Amelia each grew up really fast.

Amelia, of course, more so because of Rhiannon’s brain injury,” Keziah Ford said. “I can’t imagine dealing with a parent who has a brain injury.”

Like many people, Rhiannon was most vulnerable with people she knew the best. But when Rhiannon was in the community, she was friendly, bubbly, and personable with people in the community.

“She always did things that would surprise you. She would run across the street to hug somebody. She’d walk into a grocery store and if she liked somebody’s

though it didn’t match, she made it look good.”

Meyer said that it was just “how she was.” Meyer described Rhiannon as a genuine person who didn’t care what others thought.

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Dewey was preceded in death by his wife, Wilma Noble Kearsley in 2007; his brothers Robert (2019), and Kent (1992), and his two infant brothers: Forrest (1931) and Duane (1934), and his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Carol Bennett; his sister Renee Sullivan and brother Keith Kearsley; his four children, Kay Olson, Pat Kearsley, Stuart Kearsley, and Chad Kearsley; his fourteen grandchildren and twenty-five great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2024 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints, 2755 Sykes Road, St. Helens, Oregon. Dewey will be interred in Willamette National Cemetery.

Patricia Ann Phelan

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Helens High School, and avidly attended St. Helens sporting events and other sporting events in support of his children, grandchildren, and many others.

Following Wilma’s death, Dewey married Carol Bennett on June 28, 2008.

Dewey was a faithful

member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints. He served the St. Helens community as a bishop and leader, served a mission with his wife Wilma on Long Island, New York, and worked and served in the LDS Temple in Portland, Oregon.

Dewey was a kind, generous, and hardworking man who loved and served everyone, having never met a stranger. Dewey loved to laugh and tell stories.

Dewey’s first priority and greatest love was his family with special love for his extended family members: his brothers and sister, his grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, his nieces and nephews, his in-laws, his cousins, his uncles and aunts. Dewey will be greatly missed by all who knew

Life changing accident In 2007, only two months after graduating high school, Rhiannon was getting a ride home from a friend and got in a serious car accident that caused Rhiannon to suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Following the accident, Rhiannon went into a coma for about nine days. The trauma remained with Rhiannon her whole life, with the whiplash from the crash stunting the growth of her frontal lobe.

In the aftermath of the crash, Rhiannon underwent rehab to relearn how to walk, write, eat, practically “everything,” according to Keziah Ford.

“She struggled with doing some things after her accident, and she knew her brain injury caused her to not be able to do these things that she used to be able to do, and it frustrated her so much,” Ford said.

Ford said that it was difficult to cope with the lasting effects of the ordeal. The lasting brain damage from the accident made it difficult for Rhiannon to express herself and left her feeling trapped by its effects. Something that kept her going through the dark times was her daughter, Amelia.

One of the hardest things for the family was seeing the effects of Rhiannon’s life-altering accident behind closed doors. Meyer said that Rhiannon was prone

earrings she’d tell them,” Meyer said. “She would make their day.”

Keziah Ford is from Columbia County originally, but lives in Oklahoma, and she said that when she was in Scappoose for the memorial, the number of people who came up and told her how much they had loved Rhiannon came as a bit of a surprise. Keziah had not known the positive, farreaching impact her sister had in the community.

Living with loss Meyer said that before Rhiannon’s tragic death, the family wasn’t very close. In the aftermath of Rhiannon’s passing, the family is trying to come together, not focus on the smaller conflicts, and “trying to get” along.

“This really really brought everybody together, who knows for how long, but we’re all talking now about being happy,” Meyer said.

Rhiannon’s family is still in shock from her tragic passing. Jadzia Ford said that while people see things like this in the news, the family who is impacted by the crime is often forgotten about.

“You never really sit there and think about what the family is going through.

And now it’s happened to us, and it’s just like, unbelievable, surreal, terrible,” Jadzia Ford said.

As the family reflected on Rhiannon’s impact on the community, they couldn’t help but marvel at the profound effect she had on her community. Keziah Ford said that she was a bright light in a dark world.

“You won’t find anybody else like her,” Tristen Williams said.

Debi Meyer said she is still waiting for Rhiannon to walk back through the front door.

Email Jon at chronicleads@countrymedia.net or call 503-397-0116.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

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Planning Division Manager Columbia County, OR. EOE. Deadline: Open Until Filled. Apply at ColumbiaCountyOR. gov.

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Performs secretarial and clerical services, reconciliations and bank deposits. May perform accounts payable, payroll and

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BONAMICI From Page A1 what developers hoped the project could achieve as far as building community.

“We all support each other here. It’s a wonderful place to live. Management is extremely nice, and we work together as our own little community here,” Hudson said.

Both Klein and Paine expressed gratitude to the City of St. Helens and the partners who made the project possible by being easy to work with and seeing the project through to its completion.

Seeing the Amani Center Bonamici capped her day in St. Helens with a visit to the Amani Center. The

Amani Center is a children’s advocacy service that serves Columbia County and is located at 1621 Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens.

Bonamici met with Amani Center staff and board members to discuss the services the center provides, the nonprofit’s plans for expansion, and toured the center’s facility.

During her meeting with Amani Center staff, Executive Director Amelia Kercher informed Bonamici of the facility’s function in the community and the project’s growing needs. The Amani Center was established in 2000 and aims to help children who are victims of alleged abuse and the center provides forensic and medical evaluations and support services in a child‑friendly, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed setting.

Kercher outlined that the

Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.

Amani Center Executive Director Amelia Kercher showing Congresswoman Bonamici designs for the new Amani Center facility.

Amani Center hopes to build an expansion that will allow it to increase the capacity of the services it provides. The new facility would allow the Amani Center to provide forensic medical assessments

to two children at once instead of the single forensic interview room it has available right now.

“This really future proofs our agency so that as the community continues to

grow, and as Portland continues to expand this direction, we’re going to have that future capacity to serve,” Kercher said.

The Amani Center is seeking to expand because there has been an increased need for “established child abuse intervention services” in addition to a need for pediatric mental health services in the community.

An informational form provided to Bonamici during the meeting stated that the expansion would increase the number of forensic medical assessments the facility can provide, add mental health services, and cut down wait times to access services.

When discussing how the federal government supports efforts like those of the Amani Center, Bonamici pointed to The Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act, a crime

victims fund, and investing more in the behavioral health workforce.

Bonamici discussed how hearing about the work on projects like the Broadleaf Arbor complex and Amani Center helps inform her work in Washington.

“When I hear stories, and really see and hear what’s happening in communities, like here in St. Helens with, for example, the residents of the affordable housing community. And what it meant to them to get them on a path where they can thrive,” Bonamici said. “Here, listening to the very tough but meaningful work that the people do here at the Amani Center, as I work on legislation, whether it be policy legislation or funding requests, I keep those stories in mind because I want to address the needs of the community that I represent.”

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Wednesday January 31

7 DAY FORECAST The sun this week

A7

The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

High 52° Low 44° Rain

Sunrise 7:34 a.m.

Sunset 5:15 p.m.

Thursday February 1

High 54°

Low 40°

Rain

Sunrise 7:33 a.m.

Friday February 2

High 50°

Low 35°

Rain

Sunset 5:16 p.m.

Sunrise 7:32 a.m.

Sunset 5:18 p.m.

Saturday

Sunday

February 3

High 49°

Low 34°

February 4

High 49°

Partly Cloudy

Sunrise 7:31 a.m.

Sunset 5:19 p.m.

Low 34°

Partly Cloudy

Sunrise 7:30 a.m.

Sunset 5:21 p.m.

Monday

Tuesday

February 5

High 48°

February 6

Low 35°

Mostly Cloudy

Sunrise 7:28 a.m.

High 46°

Low 34° Rain

Sunset 5:22 p.m.

Sunrise 7:27 a.m.

Sunset 5:24 p.m.

Public Notices

PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW

CC24-1024

BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON In the Matter of Adopting the Ambulance Service Area Plan for Columbia County, Oregon NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PUBLICATION 1. The Board of County Commissioners will hold a hybrid public hearing on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at or after 10:00 a.m. from the Commissioners Meeting Room, Room 310, at the

County Courthouse, 230 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR. To join the meeting virtually please log into https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/357054141 United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 Access Code: 357-054-141 2. The purpose of this hearing is to consider the adoption of the new Ambulance Service Area Plan for Columbia

County, Oregon. 3. A copy of the proposed Ambulance Service Area Plan for Columbia County will be available for inspection at no cost at least one week prior to the public hearing at https://www.columbiacountyor.gov/departments/ BoardofCommissionersOffice/Hearings. Copies of these materials will be provided at a reasonable

cost upon request. 4. Written comments will also be received by the County c/o Jaime Aanensen, Public Health Director, 230 Strand, St. Helens, Oregon 97051, no later than February 1, 2024, at 5: 00p.m for inclusion in the Board packets. Written comments received after that date will be provided to the Board of County Commissioners

during the hearing. For additional information please contact jaime.aanensen@ columbiacountyor.gov or 503-397-7232.This is a public hearing. Interested parties may appear and be heard. Columbia County does not discriminate based on disability and will provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the County’s ADA

Policy. To request accommodations or to review the County’s ADA Policy, please contact the Board of Commissioners’ Office at 503-397-4322. Dated this 19th day of January 2024. FOR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON BY: Jacyn Normine, Board Office Administrator

CC24-1026

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE CITY OF St. HELENS PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the City of St. Helens Planning Commission on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at or after 6:05 PM in the City Council Chambers, located in the City Hall building at 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR. Access into City Hall for this hearing will be from the plaza side entrance.

Zoom will also be available to participate. Virtual access information to join the hearing will be available on the applicable agenda. Agendas can be found on the City’s

website: https://www.sthelensoregon.gov/meetings.

The purpose of this hearing is to consider an application as follows: File No: Variance V.1.24 Applicant: Russ and Mary Hubbard Request: Variance to allow a reduced distance between windowed wall and walkway for dwelling unit as part of a mixed use building under construction Location: NE corner of the Columbia Blvd and N. 12th Street intersection Map No: 4N1W-4AC-305 Testimony from the public in both oral or written form is invited. The hearing will

be conducted in accordance with those procedures found in the City Development Code (SHMC Title 17) Chapter 17.24 and any rules of procedure adopted by the City Council. The Planning Commission is authorized to approve, deny, or approve this application with conditions, based on the following criteria: SHMC 17.108.050(1)(a)-(e) Failure to raise an issue, including constitutional or other issues relating to any proposed conditions of approval, in this hearing, in person, or by letter, or failure to raise an

issue accompanied by statements or evidence sufficient to afford the approving authority an opportunity to respond to the issue precludes appeal to the applicable appellate jurisdiction (e.g., the Land Use Board of Appeals, LUBA) on that issue, and precludes an action for damages in circuit court.

The application file is located at City Hall (265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR) and all documents in the file are available for inspection. A copy of the staff report will be available for review at least seven (7) calendar days

prior to the hearing. There is no cost to inspect the file or staff report; copies are available at a reasonable cost.

The report for this application will also be available on the City’s website at https://www.sthelensoregon. gov/meetings. Questions should be directed to the City Planning Department by phone: 503-397-6272, e-mail: jgraichen@sthelensoregon.gov, mail: 265 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051, or in person at City Hall. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an

interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting to City Hall at 503397-6272. We cannot accept electronic testimony via hard drive or other external device at the public hearing due to potential risks to the city’s network. If you plan on submitting electronic testimony, presentations, etc., please coordinate this with staff in advance. Any written testimony provided at the public hearing should be in hard copy form.

CC24-1004

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, Plaintiff, vs.

UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DEVISEES OF BEVERLY J. GILMORE-BRINSTER; MARAINE PALMER; ANTHONY BRINSTER; DREW BRINSTER; EVIN BRINSTER; PARTIES IN POSSESSION Defendants.

No. 23CV35977 CIVIL SUMMONS TO THE DEFENDANTS: Unknown Heirs and Devisees of Beverly J. Gilmore-Brinster NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: READ THESE PAPERS CAREFULLY! A lawsuit has

been started against you in the above-entitled Court by PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, Plaintiff. Plaintiff’s claim is stated in the written Complaint, a copy of which is on file at the Columbia County Courthouse. 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 “answer” must be given to the court clerk or administrator within 30 days along with the required filing fee.

It must be in proper form and have proof of service on the plaintiff’s attorney or, if the plaintiff does not have an attorney, proof of service on the plaintiff. The object of the complaint is to foreclose a deed of trust dated March 13, 2020 and recorded as Instrument No. 2020-02422 given by Beverly J. GilmoreBrinster, a single woman on property commonly known as 2558 Columbia Blvd, Saint Helens, OR 97051 and legally described as: PARCEL 1 OF PARTITION PLAT NO. 1999-22,

RECORDED JUNE 30, 1999, FEE NO. 99-09300, IN COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON. TOGETHER WITH A NON-EXCLUSIVE EASEMENT FOR INGRESS AND EGRESS OVER PARCEL 2 AS DISCLOSED ON THE FACE OF PARTITION PLAT NO. 1999-22. The complaint seeks to foreclose and terminate all interest of Unknown Heirs and Devisees of Beverly J. Gilmore-Brinster and all other interests in the property. The “motion” or “answer” (or “reply”) must

CC24-1017

be given to the court clerk or administrator within 30 days of the date of first publication specified herein along with the required filing fee.

The date of first publication of the summons is January 10, 2024. If you are in the active military service of the United States, or believe that you may be entitled to protection of the SCRA, please contact our office. If you do not contact us, we will report to the court that we do not believe that you are protected under the SCRA. If you have questions, you should

see an attorney immediately.

If you need help in finding an attorney, you may contact the Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service online at www.oregonstatebar.org or by calling (503) 684-3763 (in the Portland metropolitan area) or toll-free elsewhere in Oregon at (800) 4527636. Attorneys for Plaintiff, LOGS LEGAL GROUP LLP By: James A. Craft #090146 [jcraft@janewaylaw.com] 1499 SE Tech Center Place, Suite 255, Vancouver, WA 98683 (360) 260-2253; Fax (360) 260-2285.

CC24-1029

TS No. OR14000001-22-2 APN 435142 TO No NOTICE OF MEETING 2902849 TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE Reference is made to that certain Trust Deed made by, TONI ORNIE AND JEFFREY J TSCHIDA, AS TENANTS BY THE ENTIRETY as Grantor to WFG NATIONAL TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY as Trustee, in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC (“MERS”), as designated nominee for COLUMBIA STATE BANK, Beneficiary of the security instrument, its successors and assigns, dated as of October 31, 2017 and recorded on October 31, 2017 as Instrument No. 2017010200 and the beneficial interest was assigned to FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION and recorded March 1, 2022 as Instrument Number 202201892 of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Columbia County, Oregon to-wit: APN: 435142 LOT 9, BLOCK 3, COREY ADDITION, IN THE CITY OF VERNONIA, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON Commonly known as: 914 6TH AVE, VERNONIA, OR 97064 Both the Beneficiary, FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION, and the Trustee, Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112, have elected to sell the said real property to satisfy

the obligations secured by said Trust Deed and notice has been recorded pursuant to Section 86.752(3) of Oregon Revised Statutes.

The default for which the foreclosure is made is the Grantor’s failure to pay: Failed to pay payments which became due Monthly Payment(s): 9 Monthly Payment(s) from 05/01/2023 to 01/15/2024 at $1,514.25 Monthly Late Charge(s): $184.24 By this reason of said default the Beneficiary has declared all obligations secured by said Trust Deed immediately due and payable, said sums being the following, to-wit: The sum of $224,578.22 together with interest thereon at the rate of 3.62500% per annum from April 1, 2023 until paid; plus all accrued late charges thereon; and all Trustee’s fees, foreclosure costs and any sums advanced by the Beneficiary pursuant to the terms of said Trust Deed. Wherefore, notice is hereby given that, the undersigned Trustee will on May 28, 2024 at the hour of 01:00 PM, Standard of Time, as established by Section 187.110, Oregon Revised Statues, Front Entrance, Columbia County Courthouse, 230 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051 County of Columbia,

sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash the interest in the said described real property which the Grantor had or had power to convey at the time of the execution by him of the said Trust Deed, together with any interest which the Grantor or his successors in interest acquired after the execution of said Trust Deed, to satisfy the foregoing obligations thereby secured and the costs and expenses of sale, including a reasonable charge by the Trustee. Notice is further given that any person named in Section 86.778 of Oregon Revised Statutes has the right to have the foreclosure proceeding dismissed and the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to the Beneficiary of the entire amount then due (other than such portion of said principal as would not then be due had no default occurred), together with the costs, Trustee’s or attorney’s fees and curing any other default complained of in the Notice of Default by tendering the performance required under the obligation or Trust Deed, at any time prior to five days before the date last set for sale. Without limiting the Trustee’s disclaimer of representations or warranties, Oregon law requires

the Trustee to state in this notice that some residential property sold at a Trustee’s sale may have been used in manufacturing methamphetamines, the chemical components of which are known to be toxic.

Prospective purchasers of residential property should be aware of this potential danger before deciding to place a bid for this property at the Trustee’s sale. In construing this notice, the masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter, the singular includes plural, the word “Grantor” includes any successor in interest to the Grantor as well as any other persons owing an obligation, the performance of which is secured by said Trust Deed, the words “Trustee” and “Beneficiary” includes their respective successors in interest, if any. Dated: January 4,2024 By: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 Successor Trustee Malcolm & Cisneros, A Law Corporation Attention: Nathan F. Smith, Esq., OSB #120112 c/o TRUSTEE CORPS 17100 Gillette Ave, Irvine, CA 92614 949-252-8300 Order Number 99172, Pub Dates: 1/17/2024, 1/24/2024, 1/31/2024, 2/7/2024, THE COLUMBIA COUNTY CHRONICLE & CHIEF

The Clatskanie City Council will meet on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall in the Clatskanie Cultural Center, 75 South Nehalem St. (2nd floor).

Agenda items include but are not limited to: approval of the minutes of the January 3rd, 2024 regular meeting

and a presentation about the Downtown Accessibility Grant. An updated agenda will be available at City Hall by February 2nd, 2024.

Access to the meeting on ZOOM will be posted on the city website, www.cityofclatskanie.com. Please call City Hall at least 48 hours in advance if you need assistance.

CC24-1027

NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING McNulty Water PUD will be holding their Board meeting February 6, 2024, at 7pm. The meeting will be located at 34240 Millard Road, Warren Oregon

97053. If you would like the February 6, 2024, Agenda, or the link for Zoom to attend the meeting please contact me at 503397-1301.

CC24-1028

NOTICE OF HYBRID MEETING The CC Rider Transit Advisory Committee will be holding a hybrid meeting on February 20, 2024, at 4:00PM at 1155 Deer Island Rd, St. Helens, Oregon 97051. Please join my meeting from your computer,

tablet or smartphone. https:// meet.goto.com/508273181.

You can also dial in using your phone. Access Code: 508-273-181 United States (Toll Free): 1 877 309 2073 United States: +1 (646) 7493129. The public is welcome.

CC24-1021

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING The Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District will be holding their Annual Meeting on February 21, 2024 at 4:00 PM. The

meeting will be held at the SWCD office, 35285 Millard Road in St. Helens, OR 97051 and via Zoom.

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

A8

The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Games and Puzzles Solution for the Jan. 24, 2024 crossword puzzle

Answers

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

A9

The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

St. Helens Teen of the Month SUBMITTED BY ST. HELENS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Jennifer Bartocci (left) and Lori Thompson, Director of Student Services (right).

Courtesy photo

Jennifer Bartocci awarded Les Schwab Tire-Less Teacher SUBMITTED BY ST. HELENS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Jennifer Bartocci serves many unique roles in the district, supporting students and their families, including the role of the McKinney Vento and Foster Student Liaison.

She works effortlessly with community partners and district resources to ensure

the individual needs of these students are addressed and taken care of.

She supports unaccompanied youth by meeting with them regularly, deeply listening to their needs, and working one-on-one with them so they can attain the goal of High School graduation.

Despite her busy schedule, Jennifer meets with

students to assist them with creating resumes and navigating college and job applications, fostering their journey toward self-sufficiency and success as adults.

Her care, compassion, and dedication to this work are admirable, and we are lucky to have her as a part of St. Helens School District’s educational team.

Congratulations, Jennifer!

Courtesy photo

Clatskanie Tigers’ wrestler Natalie Baker walked away with a 1st-place finish in the 125 lbs. weight class at the Yamhill-Carlton wrestling tournament on Jan. 27. Other standouts were Taylor Crawford, who took 2nd in the 190 lbs. weight class, and Brett James, who placed 4th in the 106 lbs. weight class.

St. Helens High School is pleased to announce Dakota Harris as the January Elks Teen of the Month.

Dakota is a well-known and loved student-athlete, participating in three sports during the school year and volunteering when help is needed. When she first heard that she was chosen, she was extremely surprised and flattered.

Dakota is involved in volleyball in the spring, a team manager for boy’s basketball in the winter, and golf in the spring. Coach Kali Moore for girls varsity volleyball says, “Dakota shows determination to strive for success in all she encounters.” The high school’s athletic director, Ted Hirning, says, “Dakota displays a strong work ethic, integrity, and commitment in everything she does.”

Volunteering for the Disney Grad Trip at Halloweentown and the Safe and Sober booth at the fairgrounds for the coast run, Harris says that they were amazing experiences and that she learned a lot and met a lot of people

Courtesy photo

from around the world.

Coach Mo from the boy’s varsity basketball team says, “She’s very unselfish and really puts others above herself.

She leads through actions, not by words. She is my righthand person, and it’s very difficult just to imagine the program without her.” Harris loves to meet new people and experience new things, and she says that she considers herself outgoing and friendly, which her peers, teachers, and coaches would agree with.

Dakota enjoys being outdoors in her free time, such as back road drives, hunting, having bonfires, and hanging out with her friends.

For futuristic plans, she is considering real estate and is very interested in forestry.

Mr. Reed from St. Helens High School states, “Dakota is a great student, very bright and friendly. She is respected by her classmates and will be a great success in her future years after high school.”

Congratulations Dakota!

Scappoose Student of the Month SUBMITTED BY SCAPPOOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The January Elks Student of the Month for Scappoose High School is Rian Hamblin!

Rian is involved in leadership as a Senior Class officer, more recently focusing on planning graduation and fundraising events for graduation, such as the Barn Dance and Pura Vida bracelet sales. As a Senior class officer, she also helps support other teams in leadership with their events when they need help or on large events like field days or community nights.

“Rian is a genuine learner and wonderful communicator - I feel safe putting the future in her hands,” - said teacher Autumn Gonzales.

Last year, she worked with the Prom Planning Committee and was a recess mentor at Grant Watts. She has also helped with morning surprises, which encourage students to get excited to go to school.

As part of theater, she is planning the spring event, which helps fundraise for the theater department. She is directing the “Our Place” production at the high school and acting in “Drop Dead Juliet” as part of theater. Her favorite show that she has performed in is

Courtesy photo

“Radium Girls” because it was her first larger role in a play, and her co-stars made it an incredible experience.

Rian is a member of the National Honor Society. Her Senior Individual Service Project is raising funds for the Portland Metro Foundation in order to help support and recognize young artists. One of the fundraisers she has helped organize for this foundation was the Night of the Arts held at Cathedral.

She enjoys reading books and sharing her thoughts in the book club. As a member of the birding club they go on field trips to identify local birds. Her favorite volunteer work she does is writing

to her Grant Watts Pen Pal because she gets to connect with kids.

In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, which includes shopping, going on drives, listening to music, and doing her nails.

Additionally she enjoys playing with her dogs Finn and Sansa and exploring her newfound love for writing.

She enjoys watching horror films; her favorites are the Conjuring movies. She also enjoys wake surfing, and boat days with her family.

After high school, she plans on attending Central Washington University and pursuing a professional commercial pilot degree.

Crossword Puzzle STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: SUPER BOWL ACROSS

1. Desert bloomers 6. Request for tailor 9. Paul Bunyan’s companion 13. Delivered by plane 14. Boiling emotion 15. Match play result?

16. Like the North vs. the South war 17. Bag, ‡ Paris 18. Nymph of lakes and springs 19. *Team that never made it to Super Bowl 21. *Last year’s Super Bowl winner 23. *Safety value 24. Disfigure 25. *Birthplace of NFL 28. Roofed colonnade 30. Dr. Seuss’ Yertle 35. Auctioneer’s final word 37. Sea eagles 39. Popular winter boot brand 40. Largest ethnic group in Rwanda 41. User’s destination 43. Like Twiggy’s skirt 44. Former anesthetic 46. Not all 47. Death notice 48. Like r in American English

50. Luau souvenirs 52. Opposite of WSW 53. Vatican’s head 55. Cattle prod 57. *AFC’s top seed 60. *Host state of this year’s Super Bowl 63. Like allergy spray 64. Second person of be 66. Pleasant odor 68. Fervent 69. Grazing ground 70. “When pigs fly!”

71. Modeling material 72. *NFL Honors’ announcement 73. Trento’s Council of ____

DOWN

1. Chlorofluorocarbon, abbr.

2. Alight, past tense 3. Boat mooring spot, e.g.

4. Short for betwixt 5. Wife’s parents 6. Serpentarium noise 7. Time period 8. Hajj destination 9. Hillside, in Scotland 10. “Dream on!” (2 words) 11. Constricting snakes 12. *____ zone 15. Bad blood 20. Post-it user

22. Not miss 24. Street opening 25. *Half-time show entertainer 26. Compass point 27. In spite of the fact, arch.

29. Loads from lodes 31. *CBS announcer and former QB 32. Native American group 33. Famous Bolshevik 34. *Like the Super Bowl players 36. Sonny & Cher, e.g.

38. Ditto 42. Neutral shade 45. With mature appearance 49. Bamboozle 51. Learned one 54. Religious song 56. Defier 57. Not top-shelf 58. On the ocean 59. Deviate 60. Type of tide 61. Peace symbol 62. End of grace 63. *49ers’ conference 65. Short for one time around 67. Short for Arthur

Solution to crossword in next week’s issue of the newspaper.

Columbia County’s trusted local news source

A10

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief

February 4

World Cancer Day 2024

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

Each February 4, World Cancer Day is held as a global uniting initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

“By raising worldwide awareness, improving education and catalysing personal, collective and government action, we are all working together to reimagine a world where millions of preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all - no matter who you are or where you live,” the UICC states on its website.

We are making progress. ~ Dr. Flavio Rocha, Knight Cancer Institute

In an earlier published interview with The Chronicle and The Chief, Dr. Flavio Rocha, the Physician-in-Chief at the Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute in Portland, offered his insight about cancer.

Rocha said cancer has been a medical concern since ancient times.

“It is part of our cellular makeup,” he said. “Our cells have to divide and so the way cancer occurs is that there is a defect in that division process.

It is difficult to say how long it will be with us but what is encouraging is that we have made significant progress as we learn more about the genetics, through profiling, as our drug discovery has improved, as our surgical techniques have improved and as our radiation technology has improved.

According to an American Cancer Society report in 2023, the cancer mortality rate dropped by 33% since 1991.

“I find that extremely encouraging,” Rocha said. “It just validates all the work that our cancer community has done, from cancer screening and prevention efforts to providers who take care of cancer patients, advocates who help us with patients so it has really been a community wide effort.

We will probably have about 2 million cancer diagnoses in the coming year, resulting in about 600,000 deaths, so we are not there yet.

According to Rocha, typically, by the time that there are symptoms for some cancers, the ability for a cure may be rapidly closing.

“Things that we look for are onset of pain and blood in the stool,” he said. “We try to catch this early through

Metro Creative Connection

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

screening with mammograms, a colonoscopy, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests. Not all cancers can be screened. It puts us back a little bit in treatment.”

Rocha said there is hope on the horizon coming from patient advocates and philanthropical organizations that are assisting.

“So, sometimes it’s not all about the treatment, it is about the support,” he said. “We rely heavily on our system of life care, so our colleagues help us with that management and we determine what the goals are of our patients.”

If families have a history of cancer, Rocha said screening can make a difference.

“We do encourage genetic testing in order to drill down what is the potential and how will that effect other family members,” he said. “Pre-testing is not for everybody and it comes with consequences.

A medical advisor can help guide you through the process and help explain all that data.

Our technology has evolved so rapidly, there are many things that we can do.

Rocha noted that medical experts don’t just rely on chemotherapy.

“There are now drugs that stimulate the body’s own defense to treat cancer and this has been an unbelievable advancement,” he said. “There have also been advancements in cervical cancer treatment.

These are things that can be done to prevent cancer in folks that don’t have cancer.

As technology improves, Rocha sees new ways to detect cancer risks through blood draws.

“We do the work up and perhaps catch the cancer at an early stage and cure it,” he said. “I am absolutely encouraged and positive and this is what keeps us going. We are making progress. We’d like to be moving at a more rapid pace but as new technology is being developed, we keep marching on.”

About the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) became an NCI-Designated Cancer Center in 1997 and was awarded comprehensive cancer center status in 2017.

The Knight Cancer Institute is the only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle.

With its mission to end cancer as we know it, the institute is building on its ground-

breaking expertise in targeted therapy to substantially improve outcomes for patients with advanced cancer and to enhance the ability to detect cancer at its earliest stages.

From laboratory science to clinical trials of new treatments, to studying populations at risk, the institute’s scientists are advancing the understanding of the root causes of cancer and finding ways to improve detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

For more information, contact the OHSU Knight Institute at 503-494-1617 Fast Fact The Oregon Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (OCCCP) works collaboratively with multiple public health, health system, community, and advocacy partners at the local, state, and federal levels to address the modifiable root causes of cancers, improving screening rates and community-clinical linkages for at-risk populations, and improve the health and quality of life for cancer survivors.

World Cancer Day: UICC offers recommendations to close the care gap SUBMITTED BY UICC

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) today releases its World Cancer Day 2024 Equity Report, as IARC is set to present new global cancer figures.

The World Cancer Day 2024 Equity Report provides local perspectives and experiences on inequities in cancer care in regions around the world, as well as expert recommendations on how to address them.

In particular, the report includes insights and perspectives from cancer leaders in Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Kenya, Lebanon, Japan, Jordan, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey and the UK. UICC has organised World Cancer Day on February 4 since 2000 and has turned it into one of the largest health awareness days of the year.

2024 marks the last year of the ‘Close the Care Gap’ campaign, which highlights the significant inequities that persist across the globe in the availability of and access to essential cancer services.

“UICC’s World Cancer Day 2024 Equity Report shines a light on the barriers to care and significant disparities in outcomes due to prejudices and assumptions based on socioeconomic status, gender and other cultural

norms, race and ethnicity, age, geographical location, sexual orientation and disability,” says Prof. Jeff Dunn AO, President of UICC. “More importantly, it provides local insights into the challenges we face in diverse regions, guiding us toward targeted solutions.”

While the different sections offer recommendations tailored to that specific country or region, UICC also provides in the report nine general recommendations to governments to bridge the cancer care gap: 1. Foster patient-centred care that acknowledges the unique needs of all patient populations, encouraging patient engagement in their care decisions.

2. Increase funding for cancer research and encourage collaboration between researchers, healthcare providers and community organisations to understand and address disparities.

3. Establish a populationbased cancer registry to guide policy decisions and resource allocation, and evaluate control strategies.

4. Implement an effective national cancer strategy based on an evidence-based assessment of the countrywide cancer burden, addressing financial hardship and barriers faced by underserved populations.

5. Incorporate comprehensive cancer services into national health benefit packages to achieve universal health coverage.

6. Enhance health literacy and education around cancer, using culturally appropriate materials and training for healthcare providers on effective patient communication.

7. Regulate the production, sales and marketing of carcinogenic products (tobacco, alcohol, ultraprocessed foods) through increased taxation, marketing limitations, improved product labelling and public education campaigns. 30-50% of cancers can be prevented by acting on modifiable risk behaviours.

8. Implement routine screening programmes for common cancers, integrate them into existing healthcare programmes, and utilise telemedicine services and mobile units to reach remote populations. The earlier a cancer is detected, the more successfully it can be treated and less it costs to the health system.

9. Address the systemic social determinants of health that impede an individual’s ability to access cancer care, tackling prejudices and assumptions based on diverse social markers.

Ulrika Årehed Kågström, Secretary-General of the Swedish Cancer Society and

President-elect of UICC, says: “For people with low socioeconomic status, the risk of dying from cancer is generally notably higher compared to those who belong to more privileged groups. People with higher education generally spend more time with healthcare professionals to ask questions when seeking care than those with only primary school education, who are more likely to refrain from care-seeking in the first place. Socioeconomic status can also influence the degree to which a cancer patient is likely to follow through on treatment.”

To further mark the final year of the Close the Care Gap campaign, UICC is mobilising a global call to action that echoes the sentiments and recommendations expressed in the World Cancer Day 2024 Equity Report, urging national cancer organisations and citizens to advocate for equitable healthcare by contacting their respective health ministries.

UICC is also sending a letter to all Heads of State and Government through their missions in Geneva, Switzerland, inviting them to seize the opportunity presented by World Cancer Day on February 4 to make a public commitment or announcement aimed at improving equity in health and cancer care in their nation. Such actions by gov-

ernments on World Cancer Day in the past have served as pivotal moments for positive change.

Prof. D’Cruz, Immediate Past President of UICC and Director of Oncology at Apollo Hospitals in India, says: “Technology is key to closing the care gap, including digital tools to enhance reporting and analytics, as well as telemedicine and remote patient monitoring that make it easier for patients living in rural areas to access care.”

About World Cancer Day World Cancer Day takes place every year on February 4 and is the uniting global initiative under which the world comes together to raise the profile of cancer in a positive and inspiring way. Spearheaded by the UICC, the day aims to save millions of lives each year by raising awareness about the disease while calling for actions from governments and individuals across the world. It has become one of the largest health awareness days globally. For more information, please visit: www.worldcancerday.org.

About the UICC The UICC is the largest global membership organisation dedicated to taking action against cancer. Founded in 1933, UICC has over 1,150

member organisations in 172 countries and territories. It enjoys consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and has official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). UICC has over 50 partners, including associations, companies and foundations committed to the fight against cancer. UICC is a founding member of the NCD Alliance, the McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer and the International Cancer Control Partnership (ICCP) and established the City Cancer Challenge Foundation in January 2019 and the Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) Coalition in 2022.

UICC’s mission is to both unite and support the cancer community in its efforts to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity and ensure that cancer control remains a priority on the global health and development agenda. It pursues these goals by bringing together global leaders through innovative and far-reaching cancer-control events and initiatives, building capacities to meet regional needs and developing awareness campaigns.

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