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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2018)
Wednesday, January 3, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 15 Oregonians can register Starfish making comeback Oregon to vote in six languages after syndrome killed millions teacher pleads guilty By Andrew Selsky Associated Press SALEM (AP) — Reflecting increasing diver- sity in Oregon, voter reg- istration forms have been expanded to six languages, including Somali, a language from one of the nations targeted by the Trump a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’s t r a v e l ban. The Elections Division made the announcement on Twitter, using letters and characters from the six lan- guages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Somali and Russian. Musse Olol, president of the Somali American Council Of Oregon, took the announcement as a rebuttal of President Trump’s travel ban, which targets refugees from 11 mostly Muslim countries, including Somalia. “It’s how you want to respond, including the lan- guage of people he had bad names for and that he put on the banned list,” Olol, who has lived in Oregon for 36 years, said in a telephone interview. The development shows how much Oregon’s popu- lation is changing. Schools in Salem that used to have almost all-white student bod- ies three decades ago are now filled with Latino students, Pacific islanders and even some refugees from East Africa. Today, some 10 percent of all Oregon residents are foreign-born, and more than 12 percent are U.S.-born with at least one immi- grant parent, according to the American Immigration Council. Oregon has long been pri- marily white. Its constitution even prohibited black people from residing in the state, a clause that remained until 1927. Oregon’s population of people of color has grown by 15 percent since 2010, though the state ranks 32nd in the nation in diversity, according to the Oregon Employment Department. The voter registration forms are offered in the six languages both online and on paper, the Oregon elec- tions division said in its tweet. Users of the secretary of state’s web site can now click on one of those lan- guages, which opens a page in that language listing eligi- bility requirements — being a U.S. citizen at least 17 years of age and a resident of Oregon. A link is provided to register in the six languages if the requirements are met. There was no indication of plans to offer ballots or election materials in addi- tional languages. Officials at the elections division and its parent agency, the sec- retary of state’s office, did not respond to requests for comment. The registration forms had previously been in English and Spanish, and the other four languages were added for the first time. The move “represents inclusiveness of America today,” Olol said over the phone from Portland, which has become a magnet for Somali immigrants. He said older immigrants who have a tougher time learn- ing English will especially benefit. The elections division of Multnomah County, which encompasses Portland, said most of the requests for language assistance before the November 2016 elec- tion came from Spanish speakers, followed by the deaf and then by Somali speakers. NEWPORT BEACH, CA (AP) — Starfish make a come- back on the West Coast, four years after a mysterious syn- drome killed millions of them. From 2013 to 2014, Sea Star Wasting Syndrome hit sea stars from British Columbia to Mexico. The starfish would develop lesions and then dis- integrate, their arms turning into blobs of goo. The cause is unclear but researchers say it may be a virus. But now, the species is rebounding. Sea stars are being spotted in Southern California tide pools and else- where, the Orange County Register reported Tuesday. “They are coming back, big time,” Darryl Deleske, aquarist for the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in Los Angeles, told the newspaper. “It’s a huge difference,” Deleske said. “A couple of years ago, you wouldn’t find any. I dove all the way as far as Canada, specifically look- ing for sea stars, and found not a single one.” Similar die-offs of star- fish on the West Coast were reported in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, but the latest out- break was far larger and more widespread, according to a report by researchers at the New Year, New Smile! University of Santa Cruz. Beginning with ochre stars off Washington state, the dis- ease spread, killing off mot- tled stars, leather stars, sun- flower stars, rainbows and six- armed stars. It hit Southern California by December 2013. “When it did (arrive), you just started to see them melt everywhere,” said Deleske. “You’d see an arm here, an arm there.” The recovery has been promising. Four adult sea stars, each about 7 to 8 inches long, were spotted this month at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach. “It’s a treasure we always hope to find,” said Kaitlin Magliano, education coor- dinator at the Crystal Cove Conservancy. “We lost all of them,” she said. “It’s good to see we have some surviving and thriving. Maybe the next generation will be more resilient.” The stars aren’t out of danger yet. The wasting syn- drome never completely dis- appeared in Northern and Central California and it has reappeared in the Salish Sea region of Washington state, according to a November report by the University of Santa Cruz. MERRILL (AP) — A former teacher in Klamath County has been sentenced to probation after admitting he threatened a student not to disclose details of their sexual relationship. The Herald and News reports Jeffrey Vincent pleaded guilty December 19 to witness tampering. Charges of coercion and official mis- conduct were dropped in the plea deal. The 35-year-old Vincent was arrested in July after police learned of his relation- ship with a young woman that began when the woman attended Lost River High School in Merrill. Though the student was above the age of consent, the relationship violated school policy. Authorities say Vincent threatened to end the victim’s scholarships if she reported their relationship. Vincent has agreed to not contest any disciplinary action taken by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. SAVE S AVV E GAS. G AS. EX EXTEND TIRE LIFE. Schedule your alignment today! a l 541-549-1026 541 54 5 4 9 1 0 26 DAVIS TIRE 188 W. Sisters Park Dr. In Sisters Industrial Park across from SnoCap Mini Storage Serving Sisters Since 1962. Call now to schedule your complimentary consultation Smiles l b by Courtney, Elizabeth & Ashley! y PUBLIC NOTICE 541-382-0410 410 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters CentralOregonBracePlace.com To my Wonderful Customers of Paws -n-Claws Pet Resort… …As of January 19, 2018, we will be closing our business. I want to thank all my customers for their trust and friendship over the years. For 25 years, I have had the privilege of taking care of your beloved pets. I have loved each and every one. It is time for me to retire, so I have to say goodbye. I will miss all the furry visitors and their owners very much. I know I will never forget any of you and your pets. I want to wish you all a blessed New Year full of adventures, love, laughter & good health. Th ank you, again, for everything, —Janet Herring, Paws-n-Claws Pet Resort Sisters Urban Renewal Agency Annual Report
