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The Chronicle
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
$1.00 Vol. 131, No. 39 16 Pages
www.thechronicleonline.com
“If they’re successful in getting this rezoned, we’ll leave.” — Mike Seely, owner of Seely Mint Farm.
SHARI PHIEL / The Chronicle
AmeriCorps Vista volunteer Mary Heberling settles into her new desk at city hall. Heberling takes over the role of Main Street Program coordinator from her predecessor Melissa Serafin, whose volunteer term ended in August.
SHEDCO welcomes new Vista volunteer BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
The St. Helens Economic Development Corporation recently welcomed its newest AmeriCorps volunteer to its ranks. Mary Heberling will take the helm as the Main Street Program coordinator. Heberling replaces Melissa Serafin, whose one-year AmeriCorps Vista commitment came to a close at the end of August. The Vista volunteer recognizes that she has her work cut out for her and that getting longtime business owners and community members to open up to SHEDCO and the Main Street program won’t necessarily be easy. “I was able to meet with [Melissa] before I started this position, and that was really helpful,” Heberling said. “She mentioned that her goal for the past year was to gain more trust from the business owners.” Oregon Main Street uses a comprehensive approach to commercial historic district revitalization. This approach has been implemented in more than 2,200 cities and towns in 40 states across the nation with the help of the National Main Street Center and statewide downtown revitalization programs. The Main Street Approach is based on a comprehensive, four-point strategy: organization, promotion, design and See SHEDCO, Page A6
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Local farmer says port rezoning will destroy his business BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
CLATSKANIE — “It’s a fight for our lives here. That’s how we view it,” says local farmer Mike Seely of his battle with the Port of St. Helens and its’ application to rezone nearly 1,000 acres of agricultural land at Port Westward for industrial use.
Since the port filed its application earlier this year, Seely has been working on his own, with his attorney and with local environmental groups to learn as much as possible about state and federal land use laws, state land use goals and about Senate Bill 766. “I can’t afford my attorney all of the time, so we have to do a lot of the leg work ourselves,” Seely said. “That’s the sad part, too. It’s
taking a lot of our resources, in both time and money, away from actually building our business.” Seely’s 450-acre mint farm is one of only a few agricultural businesses in and around Port Westward Industrial Park and the last mint farm on the lower Columbia River. Over the past three decades, the third-generation farmer has transformed his 80-acre, specialty peppermint and spearmint farm
into a highly successful candy, tea and mint business with a nationwide distribution. Unique and significant Along with growing his business, Seely has also been working to educate others interested in Port Westward’s future. For now, that future lies in the hands of Co-
See REZONING, Page A4
Food bank board to replace leader BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
ST. HELENS — Columbia Pacific Food Bank is looking to hire an interim executive director after the food bank’s board of directors made the decision to replace long-time director Tracie Smith. “We’re just looking at going in a different direction,” said board member Marty Baldwin said, What will that direction be? “I think the word ‘strategic’ sums it up well,” said Ken Gates, board president for the food bank. “We want to focus on where we
want to be in five years and how are we going to get there. We hope to identify about five goals for our organization that will guide us in how we make decisions about our resources: time, talent, treasure.” Gates said the board hopes to have a new director in place by the start of next year. In the meantime, the board is looking to bring an interim executive in by Nov. 1. The interim position will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the food bank as well as for creating a procedure for recruiting a new executive director. A detailed job description is available from
SHARI PHIEL / File photo
Columbia Pacific Food Bank’s board of directors announced last week it is replacing long-time executive director Tracie Smith.
the food bank offices at 474 Milton Way, in St. Helens. During the transition, the board wants is reassur-
ing food bank clients that there will be no disruption in the vital services it provides.
“Our staff and volunteers already handle the day-to-day operations of distributing food to our agencies and our clients. Nothing changes in these services,” said Gates. “The mission remains the focal point of all that we do: to end hunger in Columbia County!” In fact, Gates said the board is hopeful this change will provide CPFB with the opportunity to expand on the services it offers. “One of the goals in our strategic plan will be to find another building that will allow us to distribute
See FOOD, Page A6
Police chief’s suspension leads to appeal, additional investigation BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
SCAPPOOSE — City officials received notice recently they may be headed to court over allegations involving Police Chief Doug Greisen. A Sept. 17 letter from Portland attorney J. Ashlee Albies sent to Mayor Scott Burge claims Greisen “engaged in a campaign of retaliation” against Sgt. Doug Carpenter, a fellow officer at the Scappoose Police Department, after the lower ranking officer wrote a report critical of an incident involving the chief. Carpenter’s attorney claims Greisen altered the terms and conditions of Carpenter’s employment and Carpenter may seek monetary claims “in connection with any actions taken by the City or its agents with regards to Sgt. Carpenter’s employment, including but not limited to claims for whistleblowing, retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and any other related claims.” Carpenter is on protected leave until the investigation is resolved. At the heart of the controversy is a Feb. 4, 2013, incident in which the suspect in a hit and run, non-injury car crash was stopped after Greisen ordered the pursuing officer to perform a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver. An investigation into Greisen’s handling of the pursuit was launched in July by City Manager Jon Hanken, in response to a complaint filed by Carpenter.
SHARI PHIEL / File photo
“I brought in an investigator from Local Government Personnel Institute to do an investigation of the complaint,” said Hanken. “All 10 of the allegations were sustained as part of the investigation and as such I reviewed everything and made a decision that it was a disciplinary matter and he was suspended for two weeks.” Greisen has since filed an appeal of disciplinary action. “I have satisfactorily performed all duties required of the Chief of Police position, I have never received a negative performance evaluation, and I never have received any prior notice of disciplinary action,” said Greisen in the appeal. The police chief also said he was confident that the department has not only kept up with latest public safety threats but has “turned the corner” in providing better protection. Greisen also noted his long standing with the department and positive outcome of the pursuit should have been considered but were not. Scappoose resident Marty Baldwin, himself a form law enforcement officer,
Findings from the Local Government Personnel Institute investigation of Feb. 4 accident and subsequent pursuit state Scappoose Police Chief Doug Greisen: • Failed to seek out sufficient information from available source, his patrol officer and dispatch, either by radio or telephone in order to make an informed decision related to the conduct of engaging in a police pursuit; • Failed to properly document the pursuit for subordinate staff to review and subsequent training as required; • Entered into a motor vehicle pursuit with insufficient knowledge and justification; • Engaged in a pursuit, operating an unauthorized and improperly equipped police vehicle; • Disregarded policy related asked the city council and the public to wait until all the facts are known before make a judgment. “When the maneuver was successfully completed, the suspect was taken into custody and charged with hit and run, attempting to elude police officers and other charges. The entire time elapsed was less than two minutes,” said Baldwin. “In this case, Chief Greisen acted not only within Oregon law, but the decisions he made defended property and the citizens of Scappoose.”
to the established procedure for a secondary pursuing vehicle; • Violated safe driving principles related to pursuit driving with his passing of Officer Milton and his vehicle position potentially endangering other motorists; • Failed to properly evaluate the need for a continuation of a pursuit taking into account all known facts and failed to terminate a pursuit; • Demonstrated a lack of knowledge related to applicable standards and police practice related to pursuit intervention tactics; • Failed to participate in annual training related to pursuit driving; • Failed to read and maintain a current working knowledge of his departmental policy manual. Those sentiments were echoed by the city’s Personnel Review Committee, which was appointed by Scappoose’s mayor to review the disciplinary proceedings. “We, the members of the PRC, are in the process of completing a thorough, professional and objective review of the appeal that has been brought before us. We urge the public to delay final judgment in this matter until the full course of due process has been completed,” said PRC and city council members Barb Hayden, Mark Reed