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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2020)
SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020 ❚ 3A Initiatives Continued from Page 1A New tolls would need voter approval “petition circulators” and surveys or polls. Drug Policy Alliance is a nonprofit with the goal of ending the war on drugs through promoting a less puni- tive attitude toward drugs and addic- tion. Address: P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR 97309 Phone: 503-399-6773 Fax: 503-399-6706 Email: sanews@salem.gannett.com Web site: www.SilvertonAppeal.com The oldest initiative still alive for the 2020 ballot, IP 10, would require that state and county voters approve new transportation fees or tolls if the pro- jects don’t represent “net new capaci- ty” on the roads. “Net new capacity” is defined as an expansion of transportation infra- structure that did not exist prior to Jan. 1, 2018 and has not been converted from a previous form of transportation infra- structure. The initiative could hamper the state’s plan to add tolls on I-5 and I-205. Emails to chief petitioners Rep. Mike Nearman, R-Independence, and former state Rep. Julie Parrish of West Linn seeking comment were not returned by press time. Both made social media posts earlier this year promoting IP 10 and indicating that the signature-gathering process was ongoing. The campaign’s political action committee has a little more than $1,000 available, according to state campaign finance records. Legalizing administration of psilocybin An effort that began in 2016, IP 34 would create a regulatory program that would allow for the legal administra- tion of psilocybin for the treatment of mental illnesses. Psilocybin is a psychoactive sub- stance derived from fungus. Chief petitioner Tom Eckert said they want to create a model that main- tains the safety standards and prac- tices seen in research that’s more ther- apeutic in nature. He said the services wouldn’t be based on qualifying condi- tions or diagnoses, but there would be screenings and licensed facilities. Eckert said the campaign is going to focus on educating voters to the bene- fits of psilocybin treatment. “Most people have someone close to them … who struggles with mental health issues,” he said. “We’re focused on helping people understand the benefits of this therapy so the people who are suffering can get the relief that they need.” The campaign has nearly $140,000 available, most of that coming from the Washington, D.C.-based New Ap- proach PAC, which has a history sup- porting drug legalization and decrimi- nalization efforts nationwide. Decriminalizing drug possession IP 44 would seek to decriminalize the possession of most drugs and cre- ate more addiction and recovery ser- vices through excess tax revenue gen- erated from the state’s marijuana tax. Applicants for funding would also be able to request more money for existing services through a committee process created in the initiative. Oregon consistently ranks near last in the nation on access to behavioral health services. “It’s an initiative I believe in with my whole self,” said Janie Gullickson, chief petitioner and executive director of The Mental Health and Addiction Associa- tion of Oregon. “It really responds to the addiction crisis in a way the state has not done yet.” State campaign finance records in- dicate the campaign is largely run through Drug Policy Action, the politi- cal arm of Drug Policy Alliance, which has generated more than $350,000 in in-kind contributions. Most of that money is for “management services,” Traeger Continued from Page 1A Traeger name, barn or likenesses to confuse consumers or promote other grills as if they were genuine Traegers.” Building and selling a BBQ brand Joe Traeger had worked in heating when he invented one that could use wood pellets made of compressed saw- dust as fuel. After building the first grill that used wood pellets for fuel in 1985, Traeger sold his first unit in 1988 and the fledg- ling company rapidly expanded. According to court documents, the Traeger family sold the company, as well as the use of their names and im- ages, to a Florida venture capitalist for $12.4 million in 2006. Traeger Grills was sold again in 2014 to private equity firm Trilantic Capital Partners and the company moved its headquarters to Utah in 2015. In 2018, Joe and Brian Traeger went to work for Dansons, a rival company based in Arizona that sells pellet smok- ers under the Louisiana Grills and Pit Boss brands, as independent contrac- tors, according to the court filings. Dansons announced their employ- ment in September 2018 in company Another attempt at gun reform In additional, several high profile initiatives are still early in the process, including those dealing with gun con- trol. While still early in the process, a faith-based coalition is making another run at getting gun control measures on the ballot. Lift Every Voice Oregon’s primary initiative this cycle is IP 60, which would: restrict the private manufac- ture, sale, purchase, transfer or posses- sion of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition; implement several requirements before the pur- chase of an “assault-style” semi-auto- matic firearm; and raise the minimum purchasing age of a gun from 18 to 21. Initiatives 61 and 62 were also intro- duced by the group, which separate the semi-automatic gun purchasing sec- tion from the large-capacity magazine section. Pastor Mark Knutson of the Augus- tana Lutheran Church in Portland and a chief petitioner said gun violence is damaging the mental, emotional and spiritual health of young people in Ore- gon and across the country. “It’s not just the damage that guns do. It’s also the pall that hangs over our schools, our malls, our places of wor- ship,” he said. “Young people are think- ing about this.” Under IP 60, to purchase a semi- automatic “assault-style” firearm, a prospective purchaser would need to prove they: completed a firearms safety training course within the last four years; passed a criminal background check; and completed a five-day wait- ing period (or until the background check is complete). Under current Oregon law, there is no waiting period and most back- ground checks are instant and com- pleted at the time of sale. The group previously introduced a gun control initiative in 2018 shortly af- ter the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, but filed late in the cycle and were held up by a Supreme Court review, so were un- able to meet the deadline for the No- vember 2018 ballot. They supported a pair of bills during the 2019 Oregon legislative session, but neither made it far. So Knutson said they are returning to the initiative process to let voters de- cide directly and hopefully be a model for initiatives in other states. Another gun-related initiative seek- ing the 2020 ballot that failed in the 2019 session is IP 40, or the Cindy Yuille and Steve Forsyth Act — named for the two people killed in the 2012 Clacka- mas Town Center shooting. It would require that when a gun is not being carried, it is secured with ei- ther a trigger or cable lock or in a locked container. Firearms must be trans- ferred while secured in a similar man- ner. If a gun is not stored in the manner described and later stolen and used to injure a person or property within four years, the gun owner is held liable for that injury. The measure would require that a gun owner report a lost or stolen fire- arm within 24 hours of when they knew or should have known about its ab- sence. The initiative is currently on appeal to the state Supreme Court. Contact reporter Connor Radnovich at cradnovich@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6864, or follow him on Twitter at @CDRadnovich marketing and in March 2019 an- nounced a new line of grills under the “Founders Series” brand, “brought to you proudly by Joe Traeger, the founder of the original pellet grill.” Traeger Pellet Grills sent cease and desist letters to Dansons concerning the use of Joe and Brian Traeger in market- ing, according to court records, but did not receive a satisfactory response. In July, Traeger Grills sued the Traeg- er family members and Dansons in Ari- zona, where it is based, and Florida al- leging the use of their likenesses and names were in violation of the purchase agreements they signed when they sold the company in 2006. In October, district court judges in Florida and Arizona issued preliminary injunctions, barring Dansons from us- ing the Traegers in advertising, though Dansons had removed all social media posts that included Joe and Brian Traeger and the Traeger Barn from its social media Sept. 25 and 26. In accordance with the settlement, the Traegers will be permanently en- joined from appearing in marketing, so- cial media or advertisements in connec- tion with the sales of wood pellet grills. Traeger Grills retains Traeger Barn image The Traeger Barn has long been part of company lore. Staff News Director Don Currie 503-399-6655 dcurrie@statesmanjournal.com Advertising Westsmb@gannett.com Deadlines News: 4 p.m. Thursday Letters: 4 p.m. Thursday Obituaries: 11 a.m. Friday Display Advertising: 4 p.m. Wednesday Legals: 3 p.m. Wednesday Classifieds: 4 p.m. Friday News Tips The Appeal Tribune encourages suggestions for local stories. Email the newsroom, submit letters to the editor and send announcements to sanews@salem.gannett.com or call 503-399-6773. Classifieds: call 503-399-6789 Retail: call 503-399-6602 Legal: call 503-399-6789 Missed Delivery? Call: 800-452-2511 Hours: until 7 p.m. Wednesdays; until 3 p.m. other weekdays To Subscribe Call: 800-452-2511 $21 per year for home delivery $22 per year for motor delivery $30.10 per year mail delivery in Oregon $38.13 per year mail delivery outside Oregon Main Statesman Journal publication Suggested monthly rates: Monday-Sunday: $22, $20 with EZ Pay Monday-Saturday: $17.50, $16 with EZ Pay Wednesday-Sunday: $18, $16 with EZ Pay Monday-Friday: $17.50, $16 with EZ Pay Sunday and Wednesday: $14, $12 with EZ Pay Sunday only: $14, $12 with EZ Pay To report delivery problems or subscribe, call 800-452-2511 To Place an Ad Published every Wednesday by the Statesman Journal, P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR 97309. USPS 469-860, Postmaster: Send address changes to Appeal Tribune, P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR 97309. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID: Salem, OR and additional offices. Send letters to the editor and news releases to sanews@salem.gannett.com. Bees Continued from Page 1A Oregon rules do not limit the number of colonies of bees on land zoned for ag- riculture, but do require anyone with five or more hives to register with the state and pay a fee of between $10 and $20. Cities such as Albany, McMinnville and Molalla have rejected codes specifi- cally allowing beekeeping, instead opt- ing to deal with residential beekeeping if a problem arises. Rodia said Portland, Springfield and St. Helens are considering beekeeping ordinances. “Is there a buzz about this?” Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron said. Salem, Marion County adopt limits In Marion County, the new ordinance will mostly impact those who live in East Salem, which is inside Salem’s ur- ban growth boundary, like Lindquest- er’s property. “It really only affects the small, resi- dential lots in Salem,” Marion County planning director Joe Fennimore said. “There’s a few, there’s like 13 lots in Woodburn or Silverton and maybe 20 in the other jurisdictions. It’s primarily in Salem.” “Honestly, there’s not going to be very many out there.” Rodia said Salem had rules related to commercial beekeeping for around 40 years, but those rules were misinter- preted for years as not allowing residen- tial beekeeping. The Willamette Valley Beekeepers Association tended to a couple hives at the Governor’s Mansion until the past few years. “There’s always been people keeping bees in Salem and in the outskirts,” said Richard Farrier, president of Willamette Valley Beekeepers. “A lot of these people never knew. One guy, he talked about having bees in the city and no one ever knew. He never had a sign out there saying ‘honey for sale.’” In June, Salem changed its code to al- low up to five hives at homes in residen- tial areas, though the rules didn’t take effect until late July. The number of hives allowed rises to The buildings, which include the barn, silo and feed houses on Humpert Lane in Mt. Angel, were formerly used as part of the Mt. Angel Abbey’s dairy operation, but had been dormant since the 1960s. In 1982, Joe Traeger approached the abbey about the barn and leased it for the manufacturing site for what would become Traeger Pellet Grills. On the front of the white building, the name “TRAEGER” was spelled out in black letters. Traeger Pellet Grills often used im- ages of the barn in advertising, but after the company moved its headquarters to Utah largely was unused. Dansons alleged that Traeger Grills didn’t use the Traeger Barn in marketing for at least three years prior to Dansons first using it on March 16, 2019. According court documents, Dan- sons took over the lease of the barn and spent over $200,000 renovating it in the past few years. In August, the “TRAEGER” lettering was removed from the front of the barn. Joe Traeger took part in a promotion- al Sept. 14 event at the barn in conjunc- tion with Mt. Angel Oktoberfest. In accordance with the settlement, Dansons will no longer be able to use images of the Traeger Barn or the barn’s silhouette in its marketing. And the Traegers will not be able to make public appearances, such as the one in Sep- Honeybees JOE RAEDLE, GETTY IMAGES seven from April through August to ac- commodate the formation of additional hives through splitting of existing ones. Marion County prohibited beekeep- ing in residential areas until Oct. 30, when the commissioners voted to re- move that, but didn’t adopt standards until Dec. 18. In Marion County, lots up to 5,000 square feet will be allowed to have one hive, those between 5,001 feet and 20,000 feet are allowed to have three and lots larger than 20,000 feet can have five hives. Each of those limits also rise by two from April through August. Under the new Salem and Marion County codes, beehives can be kept at home, a community garden, school- owned property or property owned by a government agency or religious organi- zation, in accordance with the recom- mendations from Oregon State Univer- sity. Hives must be located 25 feet from a property line or have a barrier 6 feet high parallel to the property line or be elevat- ed 10 feet above ground, such as on a rooftop. For beekeeping advocates, the new rules are seen generally as a necessary evil. “That makes them comfortable, they adopted rules,” Rodia said. “That’s great. We agree in good practice. We just don’t agree on having limits of hives.” Added Lindquester: “First of all, we typically recommend that beekeepers start out with two hives,” pointing to the Marion County limit of one hive on smaller lots. “You’re going to have them help each other. There is a problem with beehives being able to survive from year to year. “When you put a lot of restrictions on beekeeping, it doesn’t really help the species or the responsible beekeepers. ”bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler tember, that demonstrate a connection with a Dansons. Arizona and Utah lawsuits ongoing Though Traeger Grills settled its law- suit in Florida and aspects of its suit in Arizona, the rest of the Arizona suit – which centers around Dansons copying Traeger’s designs – continues to move forward. That lawsuit also alleges Silverton resident George Koster stole trade se- crets when he left the employ of Traeger Pellet Grills in 2015 to work for Dansons in 2017 and was involved in the design of a new vertical smoker similar to one he helped design for Traegers. The deadline for discovery in that case is Sept. 11, 2020, settlement talks must be completed by Dec. 1, 2020 and depositions must be completed by Jan. 15, 2021, but a trial date has not been set. A separate proposed class action suit was filed against Traeger Pellet Grills in October in Utah has been amended to add another defendant, Norman L. Jones of Provo, Utah. That suit alleges the company uses less-expensive types of wood in the pel- lets it sells under the Traeger brand, but flavors the less expensive wood by using oils. bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler