WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 ❚ SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM
PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
Lighting project gives Silverton a bright future
Bill Poehler Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Walk in the gym of any high school and inevitably
there will be lights not functioning.
Between fixtures being difficult to reach and the
sheer number of bulbs in an average school, lighting is
a constant challenge for all school districts.
The Silverton School District has undertaken the
massive task of replacing all of its estimated 7,745
lighting fixtures with LED fixtures and bulbs in its 15
buildings, including 12 schools, in a $1.8 million pro-
ject.
Though the Pine Street campus of Silverton High
School was completed in 2009 some lighting is already
out of date and some areas were in need of attention,
such as the foyer of the auditorium where seven of 14
lights are out.
Compared with an average home, where there are
25 fixtures and 45 bulbs, it's a big task to keep a school
lighted.
When Lorin Stanley was hired by the district to be
its maintenance and facility director three years ago
from the Woodburn School District, he saw the press-
ing need for something to be done.
“To be quite honest, we were getting behind on
things,” Stanley said. “We had a lot of really old T12
fluorescent bulbs. That’s when I really started pushing
this lighting project.”
The Silverton School District has over 4,000 stu-
dents at its 12 schools. There also is a district office,
bus barn and the building the Bethany Charter School
occupies.
“It is a combination — some fixtures are being re-
placed with new LED fixtures and some are being ret-
rofitted with tube LED lamps,” said Louis Maltezos, Ex-
ecutive Vice President at Ameresco.
The district partnered with Ameresco, an energy ef-
See LIGHTING, Page 2
Devan Fackenthall, an electrical apprentice, installs
new lights in a hallway at Silverton High School on
Nov. 4, 2019. Bulbs and fixtures are being upgraded
to LED lighting in the Silver Falls School District as
part of a $1.8 million project.
ANNA REED / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Oregon’s distracted
driving laws No. 1
Whitney Woodworth Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Agriculture entrepreneur Frank Tiegs has pulled out of his planned $155.5 million takeover of the bankrupt
NORPAC Foods processing company. Despite filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, NORPAC Foods'
processing plant in Stayton is still hiring new employees. DAVID DAVIS AND KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL
NORPAC OPERATES
IN UNCERTAINTY
Bill Poehler
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
For nearly 100 years, Stayton has been closely
linked with NORPAC Foods.
Stayton grew up around the vegetable processing
co-op that started life as Stayton Canning Company
in 1924 and grew into one of the largest companies of
its type in the Willamette Valley. Generations of the
city’s residents have worked there, either full-time or
during the busy seasons.
That was all supposed to come to an end Oct. 31,
when the company's new owner was scheduled to
close the Stayton plant. But Halloween passed, and
the plant is still operating.
Now, with the potential new owner withdrawing
his purchase offer, creditors haranguing the court to
get paid and hundreds of growers scrambling to find a
potential replacement buyer, NORPAC's future is
more uncertain than ever.
“I want to do this in the most orchestrated way we
can," Bankruptcy Judge Peter McKittrick said at a
hearing, "that helps preserve the value of the ongoing
business and gives the best opportunity for the farm-
ers to have a place to sell their product to and the em-
ployees to continue to have jobs.”
Proposed sale to Oregon Potato
When NORPAC Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankrupt-
cy protection in August, it seemed as if it were a bump
in the road that would keep the company operating
smoothly.
The company had an agreement to have the major-
ity of its assets, including its plants in Salem, Brooks,
Quincy, Wash., and Stayton, purchased by Oregon Po-
tato Company, though the original plan was to close
the Stayton plant.
Frank Tiegs privately owns Oregon Potato and has
bought up similar companies including Willamette
Valley Fruit in Salem and National Frozen Foods in Al-
bany .
That deal would have allowed the company to re-
structure or pay off most of its $164 million in debt and
continue operating, providing a place for the over 220
See NORPAC, Page 3A
Oregon Solidarity Project wins innovation award
Emily Teel Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
A year ago California-based Copper Cane Wines &
Provisions rejected more than 2,000 tons of wine
grapes grown in Southern Oregon. The fruit, rejected
for supposed smoke taint from wildfire impact in the
region, represented a $4 million dollar collective loss
for more than 15 grape growers in the Rogue Valley.
This year, a collective of Willamette Valley winemak-
ers is being recognized with a national award for what
they did next.
These wineries quickly made arrangements to
bring some of the fruit north. Based on lab results
from each lot, they believed the grapes had been re-
jected without cause. The collective of wineries in-
cludes and Silvan Ridge Winery in Eugene, King
Estate in Lorane, The Eyrie Vineyards in McMinnville
and Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner. They la-
beled their collaborative wines Oregon Solidarity
Wines and pledged proceeds from their sale back to
the grape growers.
The collective was able to purchase more than 140
tons of grapes from six growers at a cost of $323,750.
Their effort yielded nearly 7,500 cases of wine.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine has awarded Oregon
Solidarity with a 2019 Wine Star Award for Innovator
of the Year. These annual awards recognize influential
members of the wine and spirits industry in 17 cate-
gories that include winemaker of the year, importer of
the year, etc.
“Today’s leaders honor the importance of mutual
respect and cooperation, especially in times of need,”
writes Paul Gregutt, Contributing Editor for Wine En-
thusiast. “As a shining example of these touchstone
beliefs, Wine Enthusiast names Oregon Solidarity as
Those caught texting, browsing social media or
otherwise holding and using their cell phones in Ore-
gon face the harshest distracted driving laws in the
nation, according to a recent study.
Rosenblum Law, the firm behind trafficticket-
s.com, analyzed laws from all 50 states and ranked
Oregon at the top.
Due to the expensive fine – up to $1,000 for a first-
time offense – Oregon earned the number one slot.
“Oregon has taken the strongest stance on pun-
ishing individuals for texting while driving,” said
Adam Rosenblum, principal attorney with the New
Jersey-based law firm. “This harsh penalty is intend-
ed to deter people from using their phones while
driving and could ultimately lead to fewer accidents
that are caused by distracted driving.”
During the 2017 Oregon legislative session, law-
makers voted to bolster the state’s distracted driving
laws by closing a gaping loophole and increasing
fines.
First-time offenses not resulting in a crash can
lead to fines of up to $1,000. Second-time offenses or
offenses that contributed to a crash result in an up to
$2,000 fine.
Those who nab a third distracting driving citation
in a 10-year period can be fined up to $2,500 and sen-
tenced to 6 months in jail for the misdemeanor of-
fense.
But courts may offer to suspend the fine for first-
time offenders if they complete and pay for a distract-
ed driving avoidance course, according to the Oregon
Department of Transportation.
And those caught texting or using their phones
don’t always face the stiffest penalty.
The presumptive fines for each offense – $260 for
a first-timer and $435 for a second-time offense –
can be much lower than the maximums.
The analysis also took into account how easily a
distracted driving offense can lead to a suspended li-
cense.
Illinois drivers were found most likely to get their
license suspended for texting while driving.
Utah, Wisconsin and Alaska, with fines ranging
from $750 to $400, also made the top five rankings of
strictest states.
Montana, the only state with no laws restricting
the use of cell phones while driving, earned the title
of “most lenient” state.
Due to its low fine of $20, California also ranked
near the bottom.
The analysis only took into account state laws –
but not city-specific laws – banning cell phone use
while driving.
Rosenblum said due to the high number of text-
ing-related crashes, nearly all states have passed
laws.
As an authority on the subject of traffic tickets,
their firm decided to compare nationwide how states
are working to stop distracted driving. If Oregon’s
strict laws show a positive impact, it could lead other
states to follow suit.
“The National Safety Council reports that cell
phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes
each year,” Rosenblum said. “If Oregon is able to low-
er the number of accidents caused by distracted driv-
ing, other states may follow suit and make their dis-
tracted driving penalties harsher.”
For questions, comments and news tips, email re-
porter
Whitney
Woodworth
at
wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-
399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth
See WINE, Page 2
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Oregon State Police Senior Trooper Cameron Bailey
pulls over a driver for speeding while patroling for
distracted drivers along a section of Interstate 5 in
April of 2016, during a ride along.
STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE