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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2020)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020 ❚ SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Silverton constable to be honored at state memorial Virginia Barreda Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Seventy-eight years after his death, Silverton Con- stable Hansford “Harry” Greenfield will be honored alongside other fallen law enforcement officials at the state’s memorial grounds in Salem. The Board on Public Safety Standards and Training approved Greenfield’s name to be added to the Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at the grounds of the Oregon Public Safety Academy in a cer- emony to take place in 2021. The recommendation approved last week came from a nomination that was submitted to City of Sil- verton Police Department from Greenfield’s great- grandson Roger Greenfield, of Salem. Roger “asked that the historic recognition process be used to ensure his fallen family member was prop- erly honored for his service,” DPSST’s Director Eriks Gabliks said in a release. Officials said Greenfield was unknown to many. Salem’s Capital Journal reported Greenfield’s death on Wednesday, February 25, 1942. Reports said he died after suffering a heart attack the day before while help- ing Night Officer Vic Grossnickle investigate a break-in at a local tavern. While discussing the case with his fellow officer, he complained of feeling ill and collapsed in a nearby lav- atory. Seventy-eight years after his death, Silverton Constable Hansford “Harry” Greenfield will be honored alongside other fallen law enforcement officials at the state’s memorial grounds in Salem. COURTESY OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY See CONSTABLE, Page 3A STANDARDS AND TRAINING County jail populations plummet COVID-19 CLOSURES Polk County Jail down 75%, Marion facility 32% as COVID-19 at-risk inmates released Whitney Woodworth and Virginia Barreda Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Lloyd Savage gets his boat ready for fishing Wednesday morning as access reopened at Mongold Boat Ramp at Detroit Lake. ZACH URNESS/STATESMAN JOURNAL DETROIT LAKE REOPENS ACCESS Other state parks also resume operations, some differences Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK It was a unique fishing opener Wednesday morn- ing at Detroit Lake. Anglers who’d been kept off the popular reservoir by COVID-19 closures were suddenly able to target rainbow trout and kokanee once again with the re- opening of Mongold Boat Ramp. “I was online last night when, kind of out of no- where, I saw that it was going to open,” said Lloyd Sav- age of Sublimity. “I went straight to the garage to get the boat ready. I’ve been waiting all spring to get out onto this great big lake that’s had nobody on it.” Detroit Lake’s largest access point was one of just eight state parks across Oregon that reopened for day-use Wednesday following Gov. Kate Brown’s an- nouncement that outdoor recreation could partly re- sume. While fishing, hunting and hiking were never ex- pressly prohibited by Brown’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” order, it closed many places people access the outdoors.That began to change Wednesday. “It’s been a long few months waiting to get out here and fish for kokanee,” Dave Evans said, as he backed his boat into the water Wednesday. “It really feels like opening weekend.” But it wasn’t quite business as usual. At Willamette Mission State Park, the other state park near Salem that reopened Wednesday, picnic tables were spread out to help with social distancing. And at Detroit, some anglers wore facemasks — all signs that things aren’t quite normal yet. “We’re going to be out here making sure folks are social distancing and being responsible,” said Larry Warren, director of the Oregon Marine Board. “We’re all hoping things go smoothly and that we can con- tinue to keep opening up places like this in a safe way.” Lack of social distancing could lead to slowdowns, new closures Wednesday morning arrived drizzly and fairly qui- et at Mongold Boat Ramp. Some 20 boat trailers were parked in the boat ramp’s sprawling parking lot. See PARKS, Page 2A Silverton council weighs future of Abiqua Creek dam Christena Brooks Special to Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK The City of Silverton has been operating under a virus-induced state of emergency like all of Oregon, but capital water and sewer projects are still moving forward. The city council voted on May 4 to probe the work- ability of breaching or replacing the 77-year-old dam on Abiqua Creek to make the site more fish-friendly. Not to be confused with the earthen dam at Silverton Reservoir, this dam sits on Silverton’s main drinking water source, Abiqua Creek, north of town. For now, city councilors have agreed to spend $15,000 to secure up to $60,000 in grant money to study the dam. “The dam is quite old, and the technology is poor,” See COUNCIL, Page 3A Vol. 139, No. 21 Online at SilvertonAppeal.com 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 QEAJAB-07403y ©2020 50 cents Printed on recycled paper County jails across Oregon have drastically cut their populations in response to – and as a result of – changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Polk County Jail slashed its population by 75%. Marion County Correctional Facility has seen a 32% reduction in inmates. According to a recent survey by Disability Rights Oregon, county jails in Oregon have shrunk the num- ber of inmates in custody by almost 50%. Officials with 24 jails reported in the survey that they involved medical staff in identifying inmates at risk of serious illness due to age or preexisting med- ical condition, and worked with the courts and attor- neys to release these vulnerable individuals. The massive decrease in inmates has allowed the Polk and Marion county jails to house adults in cus- tody in single, separate cells, thus allowing for the recommended social distancing space recommend by health officials. “It’s all focused – like everything else we are doing these days – on trying to prevent the spread of this virus,” Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast said. Polk County goes from 120 to 24 inmates Starting March 17, Polk County Jail dropped its in- mate population from 120 to the mid-40s within the span of a few days, according to Sheriff Mark Garton. Since then, several new inmates have been re- leased by the court; inmates who have served their time or have been transferred to the Oregon Depart- ment of Corrections have also contributed to the re- duction. As of Friday, the jail had 24 inmates. Working in tandem with the county’s court sys- tem and the district attorney’s office, the jail has re- leased inmates who have committed less-severe crimes, who are nearing the end of their sentence, and those who are medically fragile. Most inmates who remain are being held on Mea- sure 11 or person-type felonies. In 2019, the jail booked around 3,200 inmates, av- eraging almost nine individuals per day. Typically, two individuals are held in one cell; the jail also has dorm-style units. The population cuts have allowed inmates to be spaced into single cells, keeping in line with social distancing measures. Jail staff numbers have remained the same with 24 deputies, four sergeants, and three civilian staff, according to jail commander Lt. Richard Bittick. “If we have 25 inmates or 150, the number of staff required to run the facility Is the same,” Garton said. “We run pretty lean to begin with.” No inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, but officials did not confirm if any staff has tested posi- tive for the virus, citing HIPAA. The jail recently tested all but three inmates who refused the test. “We have no symptomatic staff or inmates at this time,” Garton said. “We’re just trying to be a little proactive to see what we have to work with.” The jail has three medical cells with negative air- flow to isolate inmates if they test positive for the vi- rus. Jail staff has also tried to keep the same inmates together, “so if there is a positive inmate at some point we can say these are the only six people they’ve been in contact with since in the facility,” Garton said. The recent Disability Rights Oregon survey report- ed Polk County Jail was one of 13 jails in the state in need of more soap and/or hand sanitizer. But Bittick said the staff was able to stock up on antibacterial soap and PPE before supply stock took a hit. Bittick said the staff started conducting more fre- quent safety and security checks on inmates, work- ing on upkeep projects such as painting, floor main- See JAILS, Page 4A