Following a risk assessment by Washington County staff, a determination has been made that unsafe and unhealthy conditions at a homeless encampment located in the 800 block of SW Baseline in Hillsboro required immediate action to clean the site. The assessment evaluated factors related to the presence of uncontained garbage, environmental concerns, criminal activity and the size of the encampment.

County staff have notified residents of the encampment that they have five days to remove all personal items and leave the location to allow cleanup work to begin on September 21. Outreach workers from partner agencies have also been notified and will follow up with camp residents to provide support and referrals to available resources during this difficult time.

Previously, on August 31, campers staying at the encampment were notified that unless conditions improved by September 14, the site would be posted for removal of all personal property, prior to cleaning by Washington County. Campers were also advised that if they were successful in reducing the risk situation, they would be allowed to stay -- per County policy and in compliance with U.S. Supreme Court ruling Martin v. Boise -- until future shelter options become available. During the ensuing two-week grace period, County staff provided support and supplies for camper-led clean-up efforts which resulted in the removal of several yards of bagged garbage as well as provision of porta-potties and regular garbage service.

Although people experiencing homelessness will not be prevented from returning once the site is cleaned, activities at this and other similar encampments are now being coordinated by the County’s newly created Encampment Management Program. Under the EMP’s organizational framework, cities and special districts have been invited to join in this unique opportunity to meet the urgent needs of the homeless, as well as the livability and safety concerns of nearby residents and business owners.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-09-19 12:13:58

Last Update: 2021-09-19 12:28:40

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan has assumed the role of chair of the Oregon Sustainability Board at their fall quarterly meeting.

Outgoing chair, John Miller and Governor Kate Brown were also in attendance.

“I’m really looking forward to digging in with the Oregon Sustainability Board as we lead the way for state agencies and others to manage our resources. Oregonians place a tremendous value on sustainability and wise management, and this high-functioning Board takes their responsibility to Oregonians seriously,” said Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, adding, “The entire board and I are immensely grateful to outgoing chair John Miller for his visionary leadership these last six years.”

The Oregon Sustainability Board (OSB) was created in 2001 and encourages activities that supposedly sustain, protect, and enhance the environment, economy, and community for the present and future benefit of Oregonians. Appointed by the Governor, members represent stakeholders across the State of Oregon.

“I’m delighted to see Oregon’s Secretary of State take over as chair of the Sustainability Board,” said Governor Kate Brown. “Over the last two decades, this board has done important work to elevate sustainability issues and improve state agency operations. I’m confident Secretary Fagan will bring energy and vision to this job as sustainability becomes increasingly important in the face of climate change.”

The Board meets quarterly and is comprised of a chair directly appointed by the Governor and ten members appointed by Governor Kate Brown and approved by the State Senate, which is currently super-majority Democrat.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-09-18 17:13:46

Last Update: 2021-09-18 17:31:02

Under the direction of Pat Allen, the Oregon Health Authority released a statement on September 17th concerning the FDA booster dose recommendation, but failed to mention at all the part where the FDA voted 16-3 that most people do not need the booster vaccine.

OHA's statement only focused on the part of the FDA's statement that the committee recommended that people age 65 and older and those considered at high risk of severe COVID-19 receive a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after the second dose.

This news is widely considered a blow to the Biden presidential administration, and Oregon's Governor Brown's relentless and exhaustive efforts to try to achieve some 100 percent compliance to the vaccination effort. This comes on the tails of recent forceful government mandates that government, healthcare, and education workers be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

The choice to only release selective information to the public by the OHA will likely continue to damage the reputability of the statewide health coordinator, according to many observers, and they are noting that the OHA would have been better off including all of the information released by the FDA to the people of Oregon.

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You can view OHA's press release on the announcment here.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2021-09-17 19:39:24

Last Update: 2021-09-18 01:33:43

Editor's note: This is the seventh of a multipart series on Tina Kotek – her past and her future – as well as where her political ambitions might take her.

Gun reform is not a new subject for Speaker Tina Kotek. In 2015 she made news when in her town hall she expressed support for a “pro-rape” gun measure that she called “closing a loophole.” That measure would have effectively ban you from loaning or selling a gun to a sister (or other female relative or friend) who was in imminent danger of a sexual assault.

Numerous violent incidents took 528 lives in Oregon in 2017, which started a series of reform attempts. The 2017 session witnessed Kotek’s democrats pull every shady trick in the book to ram through SB 719 which is referred to as the “Gun Confiscation Bill.” Dubbed as an “extreme risk protection order”, it allows a family member or household member to arbitrarily report that someone is a risk to themselves or others, and grants police the authority storm one’s home and confiscate deadly weapons. This confiscation does not require substantive proof that the person in question ever did anything wrong. The accused would then have to spend thousands of dollars of their own money on attorney and court fees to prove they are worthy of their 2nd Amendment rights.

The reforms proposed in 2019 in SB 978, would have required gun owners to secure their guns, and impose regulations on “ghost” or 3-D printed guns and require gun owners to report lost and stolen guns. When the gun bill failed in 2019 by an outpouring of citizens that caused Republican Senators to walked out, it stop the passage. After the session, KOIN reported that Speaker Tina Kotek vowed to make a safe gun-storage law a top priority in the next legislative short-session in 2020.

Speaker Kotek’s comments on the 2021 session praised police reforms but said they did not go far enough, but still included serious changes to the way law enforcement officers can respond to protests and how they face discipline. As we witnessed, police were told to stand down if no one is seriously hurt while Antifa destroyed property and scared children at a religious gathering on the Waterfront in Portland. That is the face of her policy reform.

The height of the 2021 session came when Kotek’s caucus rammed through SB 554, as she had promised in 2019. The bill sets new requirements for how gun owners must securely store their weapons when not in use, bans guns in the Capitol and Portland International Airport, and paved the way for public schools and universities to pass their own gun bans. The penalty section makes gun owners liable for crimes committed if the gun is stolen. It virtually makes the gun non-accessible putting at-risk families in harm’s way.

Referendum 301 is currently collecting signatures to repeal SB 554. Deadline is September 24.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-09-17 17:51:46

Last Update: 2021-09-17 18:39:34

Oregon’s Congressional District One is a tough demographic for Republican challengers. For decades Democrats have exerted a lock on that seat. Redistricting will change the boundaries, but changes aren’t known. Past incumbents Elizabeth Furse and David Wu enjoyed the same public union support extended to current office holder Suzanne Bonamici. Those three all understand that if you deliver for the public unions you’ll get millions in campaign funds and canvassers from the ranks of government employees. The new Congressional District 6 is likely to be Yamhill and Polk Counties and just enough Portland Democrats to ensure Democrat dominance in the seat.

Undaunted courage describes 2022 Republican challenger David Russ. Currently serving as mayor of Dundee, David runs as an alternative to representatives that promise one thing during a campaign and then obey party leadership once in office. In Bonamici’s case she obeys Nancy Pelosi if she wants to maintain her standing on Congressional committees. While accomplishing little for CD1 constituents, Bonamici has proven to be a reliable ‘yes man’ for the Democrat party.

David Russ, a very approachable candidate, has done what he has promised as mayor of Dundee. Russ puts it succinctly, "My campaign is strongly driven by faith and direction from God. My tenure will be driven by the Constitution and Service to my Constituents."


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2021-09-17 17:29:48

Last Update: 2021-09-17 18:47:39

The Board of Commissioners of Yamhill County Oregon have declared a County State of Emergency due to Foreseeable Lack of Adequate Resources to Respond to Basic needs for Health, Safety and Emergency Services.

They passed a resolution declaring the emergency on Thursday, September 16th, with only one no vote being from Commissioner Casey Kulla.

The resolution reads as follows:

RESOLUTION 21-09-16-1

BOARD ORDER 21-385

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF YAMHILL COUNTY, OREGON (the "Board") sat for the transaction of county business in formal session on September 16, 2021 at 10:00a.m., via Zoom, Commissioners Mary Starrett, Lindsay Berschauer and Casey Kulla being present.

WHEREAS, the ongoing cOVID-19 pandemic has exhausted many providers of core public services, including first responders, healthcare providers, educators and related staff, emergency service providers, and public safety providers; and

WHEREAS, the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, due to the Delta variant, has further strained the delivery of those public services and has filled regional hospitals with COVID-19 patients and

WHEREAS, in an effort to address this new surge, the State of Oregon has attempted to further increase the percentage of Oregonians who are vaccinated against CoVID-19 by imposing vaccine mandates for certain sectors, including education, healthcare, emergency services and state workers; and

WHEREAS, while some Oregonians have received the COVID-19 vaccine as a result of the state mandate, other workers subject to the state mandate have left or are expected to leave employment rather than receive the CoVID-19 vaccine; and

WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners anticipates that Executive Order 21-29 mandating vaccinations for state executive branch employees, OAR 333-019-1010 mandating vaccinations for healthcare providers and staff, and OAR 333-019-1030 mandating vaccinations for teachers and school staff will have a detrimental impact on the delivery of healthcare, education, public safety and emergency services within Yamhill County; and

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WHEREAS, ORS 401 et. seq. and Yamhill County Ordinance 883 authorize the Board to declare that an emergency exists within the county and to prepare for and carry out any activity to prevent, minimize, respond to or recover from such emergency.

ITIS HEREBY ORDERED AND RESOLVED BY THE BOARD AS FOLLOWS:

1. The Yamhill County Board of Commissioners formally declares that, in accordance with ORS 401 et.seq. and Ordinance 883, a State of Emergency is hereby declared within Yamhill County due to the immediately foreseeable lack of adequate resources to deliver basic health, safety and emergency services; and

2. ORS 401 et. seq. and Ordinance 883 provide the bases for invoking this declaration of emergency, which shall continue until December 31, 2021 unless extended or earlier terminated by the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners upon a finding that the emergency conditions no longer exist; and

3. The Board of Commissioners requests that the State of Oregon immediately withdraw its vaccine mandates to prevent further exhaustion and departure of providers of core public services, including first responders, healthcare providers, educators and related staff, emergency service providers, and public safety providers, that are essential for the safety and well-being of Oregonians living in, visiting and traveling through Yamhill County.

Done this 16th day of September 2021

Yamhill County Board of Commissioners

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-09-17 15:52:20

Last Update: 2021-09-18 01:29:25

Sen. Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland), Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, and Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego), Co-chair of the House Redistricting Committee, issued a statement following the release of legislative and congressional maps.

“As legislators we are public servants. Our commitment is to Oregonians and our job is to produce fair and representative maps that reflect Oregon’s population growth, align with statutory and constitutional criteria, and ensure public participation. “The maps drawn meet these requirements and the highest of legal standards. The maps are contiguous, of equal population, utilize existing geographic or political boundaries, are connected by transportation links, and reflect the diversity of communities of interest in our state.”

For some Oregonians, the result is both comic and tragic, especially the Congressional districts, which seem constructed to give the Democrat party the advantage. Due to these maps, it is possible that Oregon can send four members of Congress from the city of Portland when Portland -- even the Portland Metro area -- is not nearly 2/3 of the population of the state.

“Despite the delayed Census data and the COVID-19 pandemic, we have prioritized an inclusive and accessible process, open to all Oregonians. As a result, we saw nearly 2,000 pieces of testimony submitted from across the state during 22 public hearings held this year.

The Democrat Committee chairs said, “We look forward to sending these maps to the Legislature for consideration during next week’s Special Session.” The Republicans have an equal number of seats on the House Redistricting Committee and if all Republicans on that Committee vote no the decision would go to Secretary of State Shemia Fagan's office. The special session will begin on Monday, September 20 at 10:00am.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-09-17 09:10:35

In a controversial resolution, the Oregon State Board of Education has passed a resolution "Encouraging Solidarity and Support for Student Identities." Some observers see this as the imposition of political favoritism upon Oregon students by allowing and promoting certain Leftist ideas such as those of the Marxist political group -- Black Lives Matter -- while at the same time apparently discouraging any right-leaning political promotion.

The Board passed the resolution, which calls out the the Newberg School Board to reverse course on it's recent efforts to disallow political symbolism such as BLM and Pride flags from the Newberg public schools, and that certain other student identities are not political or controversial.

The "Resolution Encouraging Solidarity and Support for Student Identities" specifically calls on the Newberg School Board to encourage district staff to celebrate and stand in solidarity with students through the use of signs, flags, placards and symbols, and affirm in words, policy and action that every student is welcome, appreciated and ensured an equitable access to a high quality education in Newberg Public Schools. The Oregon State Board of Education is also encouraging Oregon School Boards to agree with the "Every Student Belongs" rule.

“Equity does not mean that one side gets ignored or favored. It is quite the opposite: we have a responsibility to create and maintain humane, livable spaces for children who have consistently lived on the brink of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion,” said Guadalupe Martinez-Zapata, Vice-Chair of the Oregon State Board of Education. “A minimal demonstration of that humanity, a flag, a banner, a sign, is all it could take for a student to feel safe. Each student is unique, and every one deserves our love and care.”

The resolution also encourages all districts to show in actions and in words that every student is affirmed in their identities and is made welcome in their schools, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, native language, immigration status, documentation status, age or disability.

“Now more than ever, we must work to ensure that our schools are safe and welcoming spaces for every student. We know that has not always been the case – in particular for our students of color, Indigenous, Tribal citizens, immigrants, English learners, and LGBTQ2SIA+ students, as well as our students who experience disability,” said Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill. “Student identity should be supported and celebrated, and we must recognize the unique needs and perspectives that our students bring.”

The resolution states that Oregon school districts can welcome and affirm student identity by modeling the use of inclusive language, encouraging the proactive creation of safe and affirming spaces, and engaging in honest and authentic dialogue with students on who they are and how best to serve their needs. School boards can also adopt similar resolutions, in consultation with their local communities, as long as those local decisions do not go against what the State Board of Education has decided.

The Oregon State Board of Education and the Oregon Department of Education claim that they remain committed to ensuring Oregon’s schools are safe and inclusive for all students and staff. The resolution says that symbolism of pride and Black Lives Matters slogans and insignia are statements of love and affirmation only, and indicate support and solidarity for those students who want to use those symbols. They do not meet the requirements of a hate symbol nor are they attached to specific political candidates or parties, even though BLM is known to be closely aligned with the Defund the Police movement and other left-leaning ideology.

The resolution makes no mention of the legality or constitutionality of creating policies based on race, nor how to deal with the expression of right-leaning students.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2021-09-16 22:28:31

Last Update: 2021-09-16 22:35:02

Editor's note: This is the sixth of a multipart series on Tina Kotek – her past and her future – as well as where her political ambitions might take her.

Education is at the forefront of this state. Unless we educate our students, freedom and liberties will always be at stake. Speaker Tina Kotek claims her 14 years in the House is her strength, what does that look like for education?

In 2013, Kotek sponsored HB 3077 that enacted the Interstate Compact for Agreement among the states to elect the president by National Popular Vote. Whether you trust big states to vote for you or not, it forfeits Oregonian’s right to vote to larger states. The right to vote is the core to the Republic that insures liberties. Kotek voted to add civics as a requirement to graduate, so does she support the individual right and duty to vote?

Oregon Constitution, Article I, Section 1, says “we declare that all men, when they form a social compact are equal in right...” Governor Brown changed “equal in right” to equity in outcome, which translates into redistribution. Even after two federal judges ruled equity in outcome is unconstitutional, Kotek still supports Governor Brown’s change in agenda. She was chief sponsor of HB 2001 during the 2021 session requiring school districts to retain teachers with less seniority if teacher has more merit and if retention of teacher is necessary to maintain school district's diversity ratio -- release of teacher would result in lesser proportion of teachers with cultural or linguistic expertise.

Kotek’s legislative biography also takes credit for championing the Student Success Act that is funded by the corporate activity tax, After two states abandoned the tax as taking too big of hit on their economy, she passed it on party lines. The tax increases funding for the state’s preK-12 public education system by $1 billion per year. Makes one question where it went if a 3.3 percent increase in the amount of $9.3 billion was need for schools for the next biennium. Will schools see that $1 billion when businesses can’t operate?

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It was Speaker Kotek that sponsored SB 552 in 2011, designating the Governor as Superintendent of Public Instruction. At the feet of the powerful teachers’ unions, she’s presided over what is arguably the largest decline in effectiveness in the Oregon education system since statehood. That has sparked parent’s ire with her caucus passing SB 744, which suspends graduation requirements showing proficiency in Essential Learning Skills.

As the gubernatorial election hastens, there is an important question on the table -- does Tina Kotek walk in Kate Brown’s footsteps?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-09-16 20:11:04

Last Update: 2021-09-17 09:10:35

According to many experienced foresters, Oregon's forests need better management and they think that Oregon needs more forest thinning to reduce wildfire risks, but a new bill making its way through Congress will make this job more difficult.

S.192, introduced by Senators Wyden and Merkley, restricts thinning and other forest management activities on three million acres of Oregon's federally-owned lands. County commissioners throughout Oregon have expressed concerns about the bill and oppose it.

The bill will add nearly 4,700 miles of Oregon “rivers” to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. But most of the waterways in the bill are not even classified as rivers. Many are small creeks and tributaries that don't even carry water year-round, and are overgrown and ripe for wildfire. Yet the bill adds half-mile buffers where thinning and public access will be restricted.

Wildfires over the past two years have devastated Oregon's rivers, watersheds and nearby communities. We need to reduce wildfires risks and maintain safe public access, and follow the science.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-09-16 13:38:01

On September 9, the Oregon Transportation Commission released an announcement stating they were advancing the Hybrid 3 highway cover option for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project. With conditions. The Rose Quarter Improvement Project is part of a larger $5.2 Billion transportation investment package -- Keep Oregon Moving passed as HB 2017. One of the most immediate conditions for the Hybrid 3 project is for the Oregon Department of Transportation to provide a Project Funding Plan on how the revised Project might be funded.

In the early 1960’s Interstate 5 was built through the Portland area which, due to the location of the new freeway, caused the removal of homes and businesses in the historic Albina district. The Albina community primarily was, and still is, a Black community. Due to the loss of homes, businesses and potential economic growth over the years from building I-5 through the Albina district, various stakeholders from the community, city of Portland, and state have been planning since 2010 on ways to rejuvenate the area, and the local economy.

The solution was to build a 4.1-acre cap over I-5 at the Rose Quarter that would serve to provide outdoor plaza space and reconnect streets that had been bisected by the construction of I-5. The (corrected) cost estimate of this solution was between $715 million to $795 million. However, the plazas did not address the loss of businesses and economic opportunity the construction of I-5 had displaced. As the proposed solution stood, the cap over I-5 was not sturdy enough to support buildings like businesses, apartments, etc. As a result, the Albina Vision Trust withdrew their support of the project and Portland City Commissioners requested the project to be “paused” because it was not “aligned with the city’s Racial Equity Plan or Climate Emergency Resolution”. This standoff lasted 15 months.

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Governor Brown comes to the rescue. After the Albina Vision Trust withdrew their support for the proposed I-5 Rose Quarter project and spent 15 months away from the table, Governor Brown brokered a compromise. That compromise forces the Oregon Department of Transportation to spend more time and money on the project as well as increasing the project scope. The revised project now will require a more robust cap over I-5 capable of supporting buildings 2-5 stories high.

There is, of course, much more to the story. There is the addition of lanes on each side of the freeway to be added, and the need for the Harriet Tubman School to be moved. There is the projected cost of up to $1.25 billion for the improvement and the need for ODOT to come up with a funding plan. Of course, there will be the multiyear construction zones on I-5 going through the Rose Quarter, but if all goes to plan the Albina district will have a 4.1-acre cap they can develop on.

The result: Precious transportation dollars not being used for transportation. One can almost see the sign now. “Keeping Oregon on the Move. Your Tax Dollars At Work. Completion 2027.”




--Steve Howard

Post Date: 2021-09-15 21:11:37

Last Update: 2021-09-15 21:30:24

Beaverton voters will need to drop off ballots for the September Special Election for City Council at an official ballot dropsites after today, September 15. They will not reach the elections department by the deadline if mailed at this time.

Many observers have recently questioned if Washington County on its way to becoming like Multnomah County, and may continue to see only Democrats elected, and a similar lack of accountability as it's neighbor county. Some observers of the situation are claiming that some Democrats may be better than others, in this case, Jerome Sibayan has been called the "less-radical" candidate.

A picture has now been circulating on Facebook showing Ky Delgado-Warren, a known Antifa member, thanking Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty “for hosting and inviting” The 649, the bar owned by Ky Delgado-Warren and her husband Karim Delgado, for an event to raise money for the her “friend” Beaverton City Council candidate Ashley Hartmeier-Prigg.

According to Ky Delgado-Warren’s Facebook page, she touts her activities with Antifa, and she calls her troops into action on a regular basis. Observers have already witnessed, and some have experienced, the destruction of what has occurred in downtown Portland where Mayor Ted Wheeler, an Antifa sympathizer, has done nothing to help his city escape the nightly Antifa riots that apparently Ky and others like her participated in for months last summer, and that still continue today.

Why is the Mayor Lacey Beaty inviting a known Antifa member and friend to sling alcohol at a fundraising event she is hosting?

Mayor Lacey Beatty needs to answer to why she is fraternizing with Antifa knowing they are an Alt-Left group who is known for destruction.

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Washington County elections officials are asking voters to use one of these official ballot dropsites as early as possible so all ballots can be processed in a timely manner. The deadline for voting in the September Special Election is 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 21. If you use a ballot dropsite early, and do not wait until Election Day, it is likely you will avoid encountering any traffic back-up that often develops at many of the dropsites on the day of the election. Ballots will be collected at all official dropsites until the 8 p.m. deadline Tuesday, September 21, 2021. Postmarked ballots will not be accepted for this election.

Beginning next year effective January 1,2022, Oregon will allow for ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and received no later than seven days after an election to be accepted and counted.

Here is the list of official ballot drop sites with 24-hour access:

• Aloha Community Library (in Farmington Marketplace Shopping Center) 17455 SW Farmington Rd Ste. 26A, Aloha, 97078 24-hour-access outdoor box
• Beaverton City Library (Between 3rd and 5th St) Beaverton, OR 97005 24-hour-access box on Hall Blvd
• Beaverton Library-Murray Scholls 11200 SW Murray Scholls Place, Ste. 102 Beaverton, 97007 24-hour-access outdoor box
• Bethany Library 15325 NW Central Dr Ste J-8, Portland, 97229 24-hour-access outdoor box
• Cedar Mill Community Library 1080 NW Saltzman Rd, Portland, OR 97229 24-hour-access outdoor box
• Washington County’s “Service Center East” 3700 SW Murray Blvd., Beaverton, 97005 24-hour-access outdoor box
• West Slope Community Library 3678 SW 78th Ave., Portland, 97225 24-hour-access outdoor box
Washington County Elections Office 2925 NE Aloclek Dr., Hillsboro, 97124 24-hour-access directly outside entrance

Additional information on election matters may be found at the Washington County Elections Office website or by calling 503-846-5800.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2021-09-15 18:30:25

Last Update: 2021-09-15 19:53:11