Narrow victories lead to St. Helens win at Project2:Layout 1 2/21/12 3:24 PM Page 1 swim meet, Page A11
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
SHS senior is finalist for awards, Page A11
TODAY’S WEATHER Rain likely Highs to 45 Page A13 Lows to 37
The Chronicle
75¢ Vol. 131, No. 5 14 Pages
Changes coming down the road Budget woes could mean changes for Columbia County Rider passengers BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
For the hundreds of passengers using the county’s only public transit system, changes proposed by the agency’s transit advisory committee could have an impact. The proposed changes are the result of the county’s adherence to state requirements that call for all county agencies to have a reserve fund, said Columbia County Commissioner Henry Heimuller. “By state budgeting law, all county, state – everybody – is supposed to have a certain percentage of their budget in reserve. Currently, we only have
two departments that don’t have adequate reserves, transit being one,” said Heimuller during a Jan. 28 committee meeting. Heimuller said the commissioners charged the county’s finance director two years ago with the task to make sure the every fund has 2 ½ months of reserves set aside. “If we don’t get tax dollars on time, then the general fund doesn’t have to carry any individual department,” said Heimuller. Over the past several months, the advisory committee began looking at four different options that would allow them to set aside funds to meet the required reserve amount over a period of three years.
“We were hoping for funding from the county in certain areas to help with administrative expense. After conferring with the county, it made the most sense not to plan on any money from the county in this go around,” said Joe Burks, advisory committee member and branch manager for Wauna Federal Credit Union. “We will still ask and we will still hope.” When considering the reductions, the advisory committee looked at available funding levels, staffing needs and estimated revenues and expenses for the last six months of 2012, along with fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15. See RIDER, Page A3
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
Frequent Columbia County Rider passenger Sonia Holz waits for a bus at The Commons bus stop in St. Helens. Proposed changes and service reductions could have an impact on many of the transit agency’s passengers.
United Way still working on goal Columbia Pacific
refinery changing hands again
BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
United Way of Columbia County is still fundraising for much needed monies to help support programs vital to the community. To date, the local United Way has raised just over 66 percent of its goal. “We have a long way to go, but I know we can do it,” said Campaign Chair Chris Kaleta “The people of Columbia County have shown their generosity on countless occasions and I don’t think this time will be any different.” Donations and pledges to the Community Impact Fund allow volunteers the most freedom to use funds where the needs are greatest. However, donations and pledges can be designated to a specific not-for-profit. Focus areas currently are children and youth; emergency and basic needs; seniors, disabilities and special needs; Catalyst Campaign (to help rebuild Vernonia School); and Stuff the Bus (purchase school supplies for Columbia County). The agency got a boost recently with an unexpected donation. “Employees of Boise, who will soon be without a job, have generously donated back to the community via United Way and Columbia
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SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
Tracie Smith of the Columbia Pacific Food Bank (left) and United Way’s Kathye Beck are surprised by the generous donations from Boise employees. Boise representative Tracie Murray (center) is joined by fellow Boise workers Tom Barker and Don Hibbs.
Pacific Food Bank,” said Boise representative Tracie Murray. Much of those monies donated came through the “Santa Fund,” established at the mill in the 1970s, and through raffles, chili feeds and other events. “In addition to the Santa Fund account, employees have purchased surplus equipment and computers. Money raised through those purchases is also being donated to the United Way,” said Murray.
In total, the employees donated $8,286 to United Way and another $3,444 to the food bank. UWCC is preparing to begin its 2012–13 allocation process, in which the volunteer board of directors determine what programs will receive additional funding from UWCC over and above the designations received directly from donor gifts. Donations made prior to Feb. 28 will be included in this process.
United Way of Columbia County’s mission is “to improve the organized capacity of people to care for one another” by uniting the resources of the community to identify and address the most pressing human needs. To make a donation or pledge to UWCC, email Kathye Beck at uwcc@ hotmail.com, call (503) 5563614 or go to UnitedWayofColumbiaCounty.com and click on the donate button at the top of the page.
CLATSKANIE – Columbia Pacific Bio-Refinery is getting new owners. Global Partners LP announced on Jan. 28 that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the membership interests in the crude oil and ethanol plant from its current owner, Cascade Kelly Holdings LLC. The price tag for the plant is estimated at $95 million. According to Global Partners, the sale includes a rail transloading facility serviced by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, 200,000 barrels of storage capacity, a deep-water marine terminal, a 1,200-foot dock and the largest ethanol plant on the West Coast. The Columbia Pacific refinery sits on land leased from the Port of St. Helens under a long-term agreement. This isn’t the first time the Clatskanie facility has changed hands. Originally owned by Cascade Grain, which went bankrupt in 2009, it was purchased by Cascade Kelly Holding in 2009 for $15 million. Since then, Kelly has spent millions to make it a usable facility with the intent of
County unemployment rates continues to decline – for now BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
New numbers released by the Oregon Employment Department show that despite the recent loss of jobs at Boise Inc., unemployment rates for Columbia County have continued to decline over the past year. In January 2012, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the county was 9.6 percent. Columbia County finished out the year with a rate of 9.0 percent in December. Although only slightly changed from the 9.1 percent recorded for September, October and November, the downward trend over the past 12 months has mirrored similar declines for the state. Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 8.4 percent, which is unchanged from November, but still slightly better than October’s unemployment rate of 8.6 percent. The state began 2012 with a seasonally adjusted rate of 8.8 percent. Over the year, that number continued to decline slowly each month. However, workforce analyst Shawna Sykes, from Worksource Oregon, cautions unemployment
gains seen in Columbia County will likely take a hit in the first quarter of 2012 as the Boise layoffs rollout in January and February. “Remember, the numbers are delayed... the Boise layoffs didn’t happen until the end of December,” said Sykes. “Even though they announced it, we won’t start to see those numbers until January.” Just how much of an impact the Boise layoffs will have on the county’s unemployment rate remains to be seen. Columbia County also saw increases in the total number of nonfarm jobs in 2012. Preliminary estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show nonfarm payroll employment in Columbia County increased from 9,450 jobs in January 2012 to 9,800 jogs in December of that same year; an increase of about 4 percent. Most of the increase in jobs from 2012 came from the private sector. The BLS estimates construction jobs to have increased by 50; manufacturing is up by 80; trade, transportation and utilities is up by 130; and leisure and hospitality is up by 60. In comparison, government
sector jobs for most of Columbia County remained nearly unchanged, with state and local government (excluding educational services) seeing slight declines in its numbers. When compared to Oregon’s overall job numbers change as a percent, Columbia County actually fared slightly better than the state. Oregon jobs increased from 1.624 million jobs in January 2012 to 1.639 million by jobs in December of the same year, an increase of about 15,400 jobs (an increase of just under 1 percent). Despite the fact that Columbia County continues to have an unemployment rate higher than those of the state, national or neighboring counties, many workers are faring better than expected. Data from the United States Census bureau shows that of the three counties in Worksource Oregon’s Northwest region – which includes Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook Counties – Columbia County has the highest number of households earning more than $100,000, with a median income of just over $54,000. For more information about local, state and national unemployment data, go to QualityInfo.org.
producing of approximately 110 million gallons of ethanol each year. During an October 2011 interview with The Chronicle, Plant Manager Doug Lenz said the ethanol produced by the plant was a fuel-grade ethanal made through a fermentation process using starch extracted from corn. Along with producing ethanol, the plant also produced spent grains, a product made from corn that is high in protein. The company strives to first support the local economy and sell the spent grains to local farmers. See REFINERY, Page A3
Police seek help in finding missing woman ST. HELENS — Police from St. Helens have turned to the public’s help in locating a woman who disappeared from a residential mental health facility Lynn Paan-Saephan on Jan. 22. The missing woman has been identified as Lynn Paan-Saephan. Because she has a recent history of mental illness and may be delusional, she is considered at risk. Lynn Paan-Saephan is described as an Asian female, who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs about 110 pounds. Paan-Saephan may be wearing gray sweat pants, a tan long sleeved sweatshirt and high heeled shoes. Anyone with information about Paan-Saephan’s whereabouts or who may have seen her, is asked to call the St. Helens Police Department at (503) 397-3333 or (503) 397-1521. For more information contact Lt. Terry Moss at the St. Helens Police Department.