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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2021)
4A | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 | APPEAL TRIBUNE Bill would restructure emergency management system Connor Radnovich Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK A bill that would create independent agencies for the State Fire Marshal and Office of Emergency Management is back for the third consecutive legisla- tive session, aiming to streamline and refocus the responsibilities of those in charge of responding to disasters. Proponents said the crises of last year have created greater awareness of the issues the bill is trying to solve, and they hope that will generate momentum to get the bill through the Legislature this year. These issues include at times ineffec- tive coordination and communication between state agencies with overlap- ping responsibilities, particularly in re- sponse to the emergence of the corona- virus pandemic. “2020 provides us, quite frankly, an opportunity as well as a challenge. We have to look at the voters and the people of Oregon and tell them, point-blank: ‘You’re going to be safer, or you’re not going to be safer,’ “ said Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, a chief sponsor of House Bill 2927. The bill is scheduled for its first pub- lic hearing at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. The Capitol remains closed to the public due to the pandemic, but the hearing will be live-streamed and available for replay on olis.oregonlegislature.gov. What it proposes HB 2927 is unchanged from the pre- vious versions of the bill in 2019 and 2020. Evans said the crises of 2020 didn’t reveal any structural problems they hadn’t already identified several years ago, but those challenges received more attention. Despite the bill being somewhat lengthy at 90 pages, Evans said its in- tention is simple: to streamline and op- timize the emergency management bu- reaucracy so each agency can focus on its core mission. Currently, the Office of Emergency Management is within the Oregon Mil- itary Department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal is within the Office of the State Police. Evans said that doesn’t make sense because the core mission of the Military Department is not to prepare or respond to emergencies, and the fire marshal and state police sometimes have con- flicting priorities. Certain offices lacking independence can also impact communication be- tween various state agencies, leading to duplicative actions. “What we have seen — between the pandemic and the wildfires — is that the current structure is not as efficient as it could be. And before we have another catastrophic event, we should fix that,” House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, who will testify in support of the bill on Thursday, said. HB 2927 would also upgrade the state’s Homeland Security Council into a commission and move it from within OEM to within the Governor’s Office. The bill envisions this commission to serve as a coordinating hub for state agencies and political leaders. Support and opposition Evans said he recently had a meeting with Gov. Kate Brown on his bill, and while they are not in total agreement on its provisions, he described their con- versation as “constructive.” Spokespeople within the Governor’s Office declined to describe Brown’s thoughts on the bill as of Wednesday evening. As far as opposition, Evans said he anticipates pushback from different parts of the current bureaucracy be- cause of natural inertia with respect to change. “If we don’t get it right this time after what we’ve seen this past year, then really the blame’s on all of us,” Evans said. “That said, change is hard, and you have to explain to people why change is necessary.” Amendments are expected, but the bill does have bipartisan support. Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, began working on the bill with Evans a couple years ago while Findley was still in the House of Representatives. He said the emergency operation system is not as efficient as it could be, and giving emergency operations more autonomy is the first step toward achieving that. “This is not a partisan issue. Typical- ly, Republicans like smaller govern- ment, more efficient government,” Find- ley said. “Efficiency is the trump card over size.” Reporter Connor Radnovich covers the Oregon Legislature and state gov- ernment. Contact him at cradnov- ich@statesmanjournal.com or 503- 399-6864, or follow him on Twitter at @CDRadnovich. Ways to taste Oregon's most prized mushrooms topped with mozzarella, Italian herbs, truffle oil and honey. Honey Pie Pizza 112 1 ⁄ 2 S. College Street Newberg (503) 554- 6750 honeypie.pizza Emily Teel Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Not much is growing in the Willam- ette Valley at the moment, but in the woods it's the best time of the year for hunting those elusive and prized mush- rooms: truffles. Typically, the early months of the year bring mushroom enthusiasts to the area for the Oregon Truffle Festival and the Joriad, Oregon's annual truffle dog championship, the only one of its kind in North America. Though in-person events like these have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, there are still ways to appre- ciate the local truffle season. For the first time ever, Newberg is cel- ebrating Truffle Month throughout Feb- ruary, and businesses throughout the Newberg and Dundee area are offering ways to taste the prized mushrooms. Here's where you can try truffles in Newberg, and a couple of options closer to home, too. Oregon Truffle Popcorn A new store devoted to popcorn has opened in Newberg and February's pop- corn of the month features locally-for- aged truffles. Miss Hannah’s Gourmet Popcorn 200 Highway 99W misshannahspopcorn.com Want to try cooking with fresh truffles yourself? Local truffle hunter Will Craigie and Oregon Truffle Traders have you covered. The business sells foraged fresh truffles online, both black and white, and also truffle butter ($12 to $28) already infused with the mushrooms. Lively Station is stocking the truffle butter in their market area. COURTESY OF JESSICA COBB Oregon white truffles grow throughout the west. For the first time ever, Newberg is celebrating Truffle Month throughout February, and businesses throughout the area are offering ways to taste the prized mushrooms. COURTESY OF TASTE NEWBERG brewery’s beer garden or in 500mL bot- tles to-go for $13. Wolves & People Farm- house Brewery N. Benjamin Road Newberg (503) 487-6873 wolvesandpeople.com Fresh Truffles & Truffle Butter Black Truffle Gruyère Fondue Want to try cooking with fresh truf- fles yourself? Local truffle hunter Will Craigie and Oregon Truffle Traders have you covered. The business sells foraged fresh truffles online, both black and white, and also truffle butter ($12 to $28) already infused with the mushrooms. Lively Station is stocking the truffle but- ter in their market area. oregontruffletraders.com Fresh Truffle Mac-N-Cheese Besides operating her food cart, Gumbo YaYa, owner Lisa Brosnan trains dogs to hunt for truffles. While the sea- son lasts, food cart visitors can add freshly shaved truffle to their mac-and- cheese, Ya Ya pasta, or roasted marrow bones for just $5. Supply may vary, so Brosnan asks people to keep an eye on the business' Facebook page for up- dates. Gumbo Ya Ya 4106 State Street (503) 791-1462 Local Truffle Oil Most truffle oil sold on the mass mar- ket contains no truffles at all. Instead, they are flavored with synthetic aroma compounds. A locally-made exception Vaccine Continued from Page 1A Authority Director Patrick Allen said in a release . “But it may not be tomorrow, this week or even two weeks from now.” The program is now one of four ways to get local vaccine information. Residents also have the option of us- ing an orange chatbot on the covidvaccine.oregon.gov website to find out if they’re eligible for a vaccine in Oregon or get answers to other ques- tions about vaccines. Those who are vaccine-eligible in Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, Multno- mah or Washington counties to sched- ule vaccine appointments through scheduling tools hosted by local health care providers. Eligible Oregonians can also text OR- COVID to 898211 to get text/SMS up- dates about vaccination clinics (this op- tion is available in English and Spanish only). Or email ORCOVID@211info.org or call 211 or 1-866-698-6155, which is open is the truffle oils made by Jack Czar- necki at the Joel Palmer House in Day- ton. These oils, infused with real Oregon black and white truffles, are pricey, about $8 per ounce, but a little goes a long way in terms of adding truffle flavor to dishes like risotto or pasta. Available for sale directly through Oregon Truffle Oil. Chapters Books & Coffee, Newberg’s independent bookstore, also stocks them. Chapters Books & Coffee 701 E. 1st St. Newberg (503) 554-0206 oregontruffleoil.com Truffle Fries When truffles are in season, New- berg’s farm-to-fork restaurant Ruddick/Wood offers hand-cut truffle fries ($7) available to-go or for patio din- ing. Ruddick/Wood 720 E. 1st Street (503) 487-6133 Truffled Hazelnut Stout Each winter, in collaboration with the Oregon Truffle Festival, Wolves & Peo- ple Farmhouse Brewery makes La Truffe: a truffled hazelnut stout. The 2021 edition of the beer will be released in late February, available to enjoy in the from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Officials said wait times may be long due to high call volumes. The Oregon National Guard will help 211 answer phone calls. Residents and staff at most licensed facilities for older adults and people with disabilities are receiving on-site vaccinations through pharmacies en- rolled in federal vaccination programs. Residents or their family members can ask their facility operator when their residence is scheduled for a vaccination clinic. Additionally, Oregon has opted into a federal retail pharmacy program that will offer seniors the option to get vacci- nated at retail locations across the state. The Get Vaccinated Oregon tool is available on the Oregon Health Author- ity’s website at oregon.gov website, or at getvaccinated.oregon.gov. Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@states- manjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2. Adelsheim Vineyard is offering truf- fled fondue, made by the Newbergun- dian Bistro, available as a $40 addition to any wine tasting. Comes with fresh bread, fruit, poached fingerling pota- toes and a spoonful of black truffle cavi- ar. Adelsheim Vineyard 16800 NE Cal- kins Lane Newberg 503.538.3652 adelsheim.com Truffled Charcuterie Board Throughout February, Good Compa- ny Cheese Bar & Bistro is featuring a truffle-themed cheese and charcuterie plate. The board features truffled Brie, Boschetto al Tartufo, Parmigiano-Reg- giano with truffle honey, truffle salami, duck prosciutto with Oregon white truf- fle oil, marcona almonds and crostini for $25. Good Company Cheese Bar & Bistro 602 E. 1st St. Newberg (971) 832-8942 goodcompanycheese.com Truffled Cheese Flatbread Honey Pie Pizza, Newberg's trendy pizza shop in a former garage has added a truffled cheese flatbread ($15) to the menu in honor of Truffle Month. It's DIY Truffle Hunt + Lunch Black Tie Tours owner Stefan Czar- necki and his trained truffle dog Ella take guests on foraging adventure for a native Oregon truffles. $250 per person includes a 1-2 hour truffle forage, truffle- themed lunch, truffle education and cu- linary tips, and a truffle take-home gift. Black Tie Tours 971-832-0436 blacktietours.com Wine, cheese, truffle dinner Need a staycation? Book the “Truffle Love” package at Chehalem Ridge B&B. The package includes an in-room truffle dinner, cheese from Briar Rose Cream- ery and wine from Et Fille, and breakfast in-room the next morning. Starting at $335 per night for 2 guests. Chehalem Ridge B&B 28700 NE Mountain Top Road Newberg (503) 538-3474 chehalemridge.com Three Course Truffle Tasting For Newberg's Truffle Month The Al- lison Inn & Spa is offering a one-night truffle package for up to two guests. The package at the luxury resort includes a three-course truffle-themed dinner served in-room. The $500 package, available Friday and Saturday nights only, includes tax and gratuities (ex- cludes Valentine’s Day weekend). Guests can book an additional night for $395 plus tax. Use the code TRUFFLE when booking. The Allison Inn & Spa 2525 Allison Lane Newberg (503) 554- 2525 theallison.com Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Face- book, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on In- stagram: @emily_teel A patient receives their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Salem Health Covid-19 vaccination clinic at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, Ore. on Feb. 5. BRIAN HAYES / STATESMAN JOURNAL