WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM
PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
Bill would refund COVID-19 fines for businesses
Tracy Loew
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Proposed legislation in Oregon would reverse cita-
tions, refund fines paid and prevent the state from en-
forcing workplace rules and closures meant to slow the
spread of COVID-19 unless it can be proven that the
violations caused an outbreak.
“There are many people who have been fined for at-
tempting to survive, essentially,” said Sen. Tim Knopp,
R-Bend, who is sponsoring the bill.
Over the course of the pandemic, Gov. Kate Brown
has temporarily closed businesses such as gyms, sa-
lons and restaurants, and has imposed capacity limits,
distancing requirements, mask mandates and other
rules on those allowed to remain open.
Some businesses, including Salem’s Courthouse
Club Fitness, have chosen to defy closure orders. Oth-
ers have been lax about enforcing health and safety
regulations.
So far, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health
Administration has imposed $330,699 in fines specific
to COVID-19 issues.
The bulk of that amount, $216,749, relates to mul-
tiple citations involving several Courthouse Club Fit-
ness locations.
Those fines prompted protests, some involving far-
right groups, outside OSHA employees’ homes.
Senate Bill 738 would take effect 91 days after the
Legislature adjourns. It requires the Oregon Depart-
ment of Consumer and Business Services to rescind
penalties and fines, and refund amounts already paid,
unless it finds a COVID-19 outbreak resulted from the
violation.
Knopp says there is no data showing that health
clubs, bars or restaurants foster spread of the virus
more than big box stores, grocery stores and other
businesses that have been allowed to stay open.
“I don’t think small businesses are trying to defy the
governor just to do so. They’re trying to feed their fam-
ilies and keep employees from being destitute,” Knopp
said.
“You can’t say we’re all in this together and treat
people incredibly differently,” he said.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Health Care
Committee, which Knopp serves on as vice chairman.
It hasn’t yet been scheduled for a hearing. But dur-
ing an information session Wednesday, the committee
heard from some impacted business owners.
“This has been an amazing business for 12 years,”
said Kristin Nelson, owner of Diva Den Studio wom-
en’s fitness club in Tigard. “We started as one of the
first of its kind and have grown over the years, only to
have our last year destroy us financially. The impact on
our members, staff and our bank account, as well as so
many other fitness studios, is horrific.”
Danielle Massari opened StarCycle fitness studio in
Portland 14 months before closures began.
“I have been hanging on by a thread without any
support from the state,” she said. “I have never felt
See FINES, Page 3A
Capitol's iconic
cherry blossom
trees damaged
Connor Radnovich
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Dodie Brockamp, executive director of the Silverton Senior Center, interacts in a Zoom presentation called
“3 Ingredients for Brain Health” with Dr. Kelly Prill. The presentation is part of a series titled, “Lunch With
Dodie.” GEOFF PARKS/SPECIAL FOR THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
Resource hub
for seniors
Silverton Senior Center
expands online offerings
Geoff Parks
Special to Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
The Silverton Senior Center’s mission of being “the
resource hub for area residents aged 50 and over” has
been severely tested by the COVID-19 virus over the
past year, but adaptation has revealed other ways for
its members to remain socially connected.
Dodie Brockamp, 60, has been the center’s exec-
utive director since 2012. She said changes to pro-
gramming and events were immediate after the virus
was identified in the Northwest last year.
“We started cutting things out right away” from of-
ferings at the center itself, she said, “mostly because
we have a very vulnerable population.”
She said the center in 2020 had to cancel art
shows, all exercise classes, Christmas craft fairs and
the annual Mother’s Day tea that is the center’s big-
gest fundraiser. At present, the center itself is only
open for the Silver Angels Foot Clinic twice a week by
appointment — masks and social distancing strictly
required.
“We needed to take our computer lab and go one
step further and this kind of forced us to,” Brockamp
said. “So we now have laptops available — by appoint-
ment only — in our COVID-safe Zoom room.”
During the continuing pandemic, she said she and
the staff are just trying to bridge the gap between the
center’s offerings and its members. Of the 800-900
members of the senior center, about 100 have only
See SENIORS, Page 3A
Reviewing Measure 11: Should it change?
Bills in the works to alter the
mandatory sentencing law
Virginia Barreda
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Oregon’s landmark mandatory sentencing law,
Measure 11, is about to go under scrutiny by state leg-
islators. Advocates of criminal justice reform have
four bills that would change the way those convicted
of serious crimes are sentenced.
But Oregon’s District Attorneys Association is de-
termined to fend off the bills, saying in a recent report
Measure 11 continues to protect communities, pro-
vides justice to victims and issues “reasonable” sen-
tences to the state’s most violent offenders based on
“conduct, not color.”
Oregon’s Measure 11 requires minimum sentencing
for the most severe crimes — such as murder, rape and
arson — for people 15 years old and up. The law,
known as “one strike you’re out,” passed by a 65%
vote in 1995 and was reaffirmed in 2000 by 73% of the
vote.
The association boasted the results of a survey re-
leased late last year showing 78.3% of Oregon voters
oppose repealing Measure 11. The survey polled 600
people and had a 4% margin of error.
“Registered Oregon voters messaged a desire to
maintain this ability to keep our communities safe,”
Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson said
News updates: h Breaking news h Get updates from
the Silverton area
Photos: h Photo galleries
See BLOSSOMS, Page 2A
See MEASURE 11, Page 2A
Vol. 140, No. 10
Online at SilvertonAppeal.com
Salem's iconic cherry blossom trees, which line
the Capitol Mall and bloom pink and white in the
springtime, sustained widespread damage in the re-
cent ice storm.
Every tree was harmed to some extent.
However, it's unknown how the lost limbs will im-
pact the trees' survival or affect the aesthetics of the
mall.
"Right now, our focus is on cleaning up any hazard
limbs and mitigating any hazards," said Kevin
Strandberg, park manager with the Oregon Depart-
ment of Parks and Recreation. "We’ll be further as-
sessing the trees in the future once the initial cleanup
is done.”
The area is a regional travel destination during
peak bloom, and the trees become a visual represen-
tation of the coming of spring and the city's connec-
tion to the cherry industry and Japanese culture.
The double row of 150 Akebono flowering cherry
trees has lined the Capitol Mall since 1992, planted
after the area was excavated for an underground
parking garage.
Since 2015, the trees have been the backdrop of the
Oregon Capitol Foundation’s annual Cherry Blossom
Day on the third Saturday of March.
Bloom is in late March or early April. Starting in
March, pictures are posted to the Oregon State Capi-
tol social media pages showing the progress of the
trees.
Strandberg said the trees will "definitely be
thinned out" after many limbs were lost to the storm.
At least two of the badly-damaged cherry blossom
trees will have to be removed.
However, Strandberg said, removal might be good
for the health of other cherry blossom trees. The two
so far identified as needing removal were already
growing quite close to neighboring trees, despite fre-
quent pruning, crowding the canopies.
Current cleanup efforts in the three parks around
the Capitol are focused on clearing the mall, as it is
the area most likely to see foot traffic and contains
the emergency lanes for state buildings.
State parks officials are asking people to stay out
of the Capitol parks until their work is done, which
could take two or three weeks.
Kara Kuh, marketing and PR assistant director for
Travel Salem, said the blooming cherry blossom trees
are used frequently in promotional material for Sa-
lem because of their uniqueness and iconic status.
Only Silver Falls State Park is as emblematic of
this region as the cherry trees, she said.
The cherry blossoms also serve as the first major
flower bloom of the season. Tulips, irises and roses
soon follow.
It remains to be seen if this year's bloom is as im-
pressive as previous years after the damage the trees
sustained.
“It kicks off that blooms season that happens
Serving the Silverton
Area Since 1880
A Unique Edition of
the Statesman Journal
QEAJAB-07403y
©2021
50 cents
Printed on recycled paper
A state park ranger trims branches off a damaged
cherry blossom tree on the Capitol Mall on
Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. The trees were significantly
damaged during the ice storm.
BRIAN HAYES / STATESMAN JOURNAL