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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 2018)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2018 ܂ SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Campers spark fire near Opal Creek Hot charcoal ignited small wildfire Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK A small wildfire caused by campers in the Opal Creek area was under control July 1 after a quick re- sponse from fire teams. The fire was caused by “careless use of charcoal bri- quettes” and grew to about a tenth of an acre near Three Pools Recreation Site, officials said. Several engines were sent into the Opal Creek Sce- nic Recreation Area to control the fire. It’s unclear whether the Three Pools area had any evacuations. “The fire is contained and being mopped up now,” U.S. Forest Service Detroit district ranger Grady McMahan said. “We’ve had great success (stopping the fire from spreading).” McMahan said the people who started this fire were “dispersed camping” — meaning not in an official site — near the Three Pools area. McMahan said the Forest Service can bill people for firefighting costs when the fire is human caused. “The case is currently under investigation by my law enforcement officer,” he said. “I can’t say if we’ll bill them at this point.” The fire could have grown rapidly in given the dry conditions already present in the forest. “People need to be very careful with campfires, charcoal, this time of year,” McMahan said. Reach Zach Urness at 503-399-6801 and on Twitter @zachsoroutdoors. Christmas in July A fire started in the Three Pools area on July 1. ZACH URNESS/STATESMAN JOURNAL Count shows snapshot of Salem-area homeless Capi Lynn Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Rangers are on the hunt for trees that would be good candidates for this year's U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, which will come from the Willamette National Forest. Photographed in the Sweet Home Ranger District in Oregon on July 1. ANNA REED/STATESMAN JOURNAL Oregon narrows its search for perfect holiday tree Capi Lynn Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK The Willamette National Forest is vast, stretching 110 miles along the western slopes of the Cascade Range with more than 1.6 million acres of tree-covered mountains, valleys, and canyons. Zoom into the smallest of its four districts and fo- cus on 190,000 acres, all covered in a variety of firs and conifers. Now pick the perfect Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol. That's the challenge for the Sweet Home Ranger District, which was given the responsibility in Janu- ary. Yep, you read it right. We're planning and celebrat- ing Christmas in July. The Sweet Home Ranger District invited the public six months ago to explore its neck of the woods, locate a tree for consideration, and submit GPS coordinates. A less-than-hoped-for five contenders were sub- mitted by the June 30 deadline. Given a strict timeta- ble to follow, extending the deadline was not an op- tion. “We actually need time to go out and vet those can- didate trees,” said Joanie Schmidgall of the Sweet Home Ranger District. The vetting needs to be done this month because a representative from the Architect of the Capitol is due in Sweet Home the first week of August to choose the tree that will decorate the West Lawn of the U.S. Capi- tol during the holidays this winter. A backup will be designated in case something happens to the chosen one. The decision by the Architect of the Capitol, the agency responsible for the operations and care of the buildings and grounds, will be influenced by a “tree team” from the Willamette National Forest Service. The local tree team, which includes foresters, rec- reation specialists, and a botanist, will present six fi- nalists. Those may or may not include recommenda- tions from the public. Forest service employees have also been on the lookout for contenders. The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree must be 65 to 85 feet tall. Last year, a 79-foot Engelmann Spruce from Montana graced the West Lawn. The tree must be conical and symmetrical, with a pleasing view from all angles. This isn't going in a liv- ing room corner where imperfections can be turned against the wall. Several species of firs and conifers can be found in the Willamette National Forest, but the tree will most likely be a Douglas or noble fir. The Doug fir is the offi- See TREE, Page 2A On paper, the homeless community isn't much different than any other. It's a blend of individuals and families, including some with children. More than might be expected are suffering from mental illness or substance abuse dis- orders, some both. Their crises are exacerbated by living in shelters and on the streets. The annual homeless count in Marion and Polk counties provides a snapshot of who, where and why. Advocates working on the front lines consider the data gathered from 1,218 homeless people during the 2018 "Point in Time" count reflective of the big pic- ture and a successful first step toward reducing local homelessness. "No magic bullet connects the PIT count with im- proved funding," said Jimmy Jones, program director of the nonprofit Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency. "However, over the course of time, it will make it a lot easier for us to seek additional fund- ing, and it will make it easier for us to plan smartly and wisely." His agency was front and center coordinating and executing the Jan. 31 PIT count, the results of which have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Hous- ing and Urban Development. HUD mandates communities do the PIT count to be eligible for money for programs that address homelessness. Here's a demographic glance at those surveyed in Marion and Polk counties: ܂ 1,027 were white (84 percent) ܂ 483 were female (40 percent) ܂ 164 were children under 18 (13 percent) ܂ 292 had a serious mental illness (24 percent) ܂ 316 had a substance abuse disorder (26 percent) ܂ 619 were unsheltered (51 percent) ܂ 452 were chronically homeless (37 percent) The percentage of chronically homeless individ- uals stood out for Kellie Battaglia, client services manager for Salem Housing Authority. See HOMELESS, Page 2A “No magic bullet connects the PIT count with improved funding. However, over the course of time, it will make it a lot easier for us to seek additional funding, and it will make it easier for us to plan smartly and wisely.” Jimmy Jones, program director of the nonprofit Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency Both anti-abortion, sanctuary measures hit signature deadline ASSOCIATED PRESS An initiative aimed at repealing Oregon's sanctu- ary state status garnered opposition from a coalition including Nike on Friday, the day after supporters an- nounced they had enough signatures to potentially qualify for the November ballot. Organizers for Oregonians United Against Profiling said that along with the Portland-based corporation, they've secured support from several state legislators, Multnomah County's district attorney and sheriff, and the Oregon AFL-CIO. The announcement came the day after a report that backers of Initiative Petition 22 delivered 105,000 signatures to the Oregon secretary of state, bringing them within striking distance of the Novem- ber general election ballot. Backers of an anti-abortion measure, Initiative See MEASURES, Page 2A Online at SilvertonAppeal.com Vol. 137, No. 29 News updates: ܂ Breaking news ܂ Get updates from the Silverton area Photos: ܂ Photo galleries Serving the Silverton Area Since 1880 A Unique Edition of the Statesman Journal 50 cents ©2018 Printed on recycled paper
