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About North Douglas herald. (Drain Or) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2024)
North Douglas Herald December 2024 The Oregon Rural Report Page 11 Governor Uses New Land Use Law to Propose Rural Land for Semiconductor Facility Salem, OR — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is using a new land use law to propose a rural area for a semiconductor facility, as officials seek to lure more of the multibillion-dollar semiconductor industry to the state. Oregon, which has been a center of semiconductor research and production for decades, is competing against other states to host multibillion-dollar microchip factories. The CHIPS and Science Act passed by Congress in 2022 provided $39 billion for companies building or expanding facilities that will manufacture semiconductors and those that will assemble, test and package the chips. A state law passed last year allowed the governor to designate up to eight sites where city boundaries could be expanded to provide land for microchip companies. The law created Continued from Page 7 an exemption to the state’s hallmark land use policy, which was passed in the 1970s to prevent urban sprawl and protect nature and agriculture. A group that supports Oregon’s landmark land use policy, Friends of Smart Growth, said in a news release that it would oppose Kotek’s proposal, OPB reported. “While the governor hopes this will prove a quick and relatively painless way to subvert the planning and community engagement that Oregon’s land use system is famous for,” the release said, “local and statewide watchdog groups promise a long and difficult fight to preserve the zoning protections that have allowed walkable cities, farmland close to cities, and the outdoor recreation Oregon is famous for.” Silver Ghost Under the 2023 state law, Kotek must hold a public hearing on proposed expansions of so-called “urban growth boundaries” and allow a 20-day period for public comment before issuing an executive order to formally expand such boundaries. This executive power expires at the end of the year. The public hearing on the proposed expansion will be held in three weeks at the Hillsboro Civic Center, according to Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency. Veterans Corner Grants available for Veterans and War Memorials Oregon Heritage of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is offering grants for the construction or restoration of veterans and war memorials throughout Oregon. The grant application period is open now and closes January 31, 2025. Local and regional governments and federally recognized Tribes are eligible to apply for funding for monuments placed on publicly owned properties. Grants may fund up to 80 percent of projects and require a 10 percent match from grant recipients. New monuments should acknowledge veterans and/or wars not already recognized in the community. Restoration projects may address broken monuments, missing elements, and/or additions to existing monuments. Proposals must demonstrate active participation of a veteran organization and community support. A free online workshop about the grant program will be held December 3, 2024; 10-11 a.m. via Zoom. Registration is required. For more information about the Veterans and War Memorials grant and other grant programs, visit www.oregonheritage.org. Oregon Vet’s Educational Bridge Grant Eligibility Expanded For Veterans Pursuing Educational Or Vocational Training cruising along a northwest course in the outer Los Angeles harbour.’ ‘Howard, do you have time at the moment to explain for our radio listeners exactly what you’re doing, the operation?’ ‘Yeah,’ said Hughes, ‘We’re taxiing downwind very slowly to get into position for a run between the entrance to Long Beach Harbor and Myrtle Beach and San Pedro. It’s about a three mile stretch there and we’re gonna make a high-speed run in that direction. The wind is changeable – it’s been changing all day – but it’s not too serious. ‘Howard, I didn’t hear you,’ said McNamara, ‘There’s so much noise here. But did you tell our listeners the speed you achieved on the last run?’ ‘That was right around ninety miles an hour. We were well up on the step and the airplane could have lifted off easily if I’d just pulled back on the control, I’m sure. But we have so many mechanical devices in this ship right now that I wanta check a few of ’em out a little bit before we try anything like that.’ Hughes then ordered his flight engineer to ‘lower fifteen degrees of flaps’. This was actually the take off setting for the giant flying boat. As he pushed all eight throttle levers forward, McNamara called out the building speeds: ‘It’s fifty. It’s fifty over a choppy sea. It’s fifty-five… More throttle… It’s sixty. It’s about sixty-five. It’s seventy’. The water rushed against the hull. As McNamara called ‘Seventy-five’ the noise ceased and then the Hercules airborne. The silver behemoth lifted up above the waves and the crowds on shore began to cheer. Hughes flew the ship low level for a little under a mile and a little less than a minute before gently executing a classy smooth landing. The Hercules had flown and the critics were silenced. McNamara asked him, ‘Howard, did you expect that?’. Hughes’ response was cryptic: ‘I like to make surprises’. It was the first and the last flight of the Hercules. For the remainder of his lifetime, Hughes never admitted whether he intended to fly. He spent millions of dollars keeping the aircraft in airworthy condition until his death in 1976. The Hercules was exhibited at Long Beach, before making one final journey in 1993 to its current home in Oregon. The Hercules reined as the world’s largest aircraft for over seventy years and it is still the largest flying boat ever built. Howard Hughes wanted to be remembered for his contribution to aviation. Today the aircraft is expertly cared for by the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and visitors to their McMinnville site, near Portland, can climb aboard the Hercules, a lasting legacy to the vision and then the determination of its inventor. Since January 2024, the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs has expanded the Oregon Veterans Educational Bridge Grant (VEBG) Program, greatly broadening financial assistance eligibility for veterans completing their educational or vocational training. The VEBG was established by the Oregon Legislature in 2019 to provide financial assistance grants up to $5,000 to eligible veterans to alleviate the financial stress during a gap period when required courses or training hours are unavailable, allowing them to remain enrolled in school or their apprenticeship training. With the passage of House Bill 2271 in 2023, the Legislature expanded the program’s eligibility to include veterans not eligible to receive federal GI Bill® benefits, meaning any veteran who is an Oregon resident and meets the definition of “veteran” defined in ORS 408.225, may now qualify for financial assistance using the Veterans Educational Bridge Grant. Legislators also expanded the grant eligibility to include any career school licensed by Higher Education and Coordinating Commission (HECC), any apprenticeship registered with BOLI, and any On-The-Job Training (OTJ) program offered by a public employer. The final and most significant addition was the option for eligible veterans to use Bridge Grant funds to pay off debt on a student account that is preventing them from registering for future terms. “This grant is an empowering option for veterans actively pursuing education or training after military service. Whether you are eligible to receive federal GI Bill® benefits or not, Oregon’s VEBG funds can now help ensure the continuation of training and remove significant barriers to completing educational goals,” said ODVA Director Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels. “These eligibility expansions reflect our state’s collective dedication to providing comprehensive support to veterans in their pursuit of education and vocational training, recognizing and addressing the distinct challenges they may encounter on their paths to success.” Veterans may also be eligible for retroactive funding (i.e., funding for a past term or training period) in certain circumstances. Any veteran who believes they may meet the new eligibility requirements is encouraged to apply. For more information about the Veterans Educational Bridge Grant Program or to apply, visit the ODVA website at https: //www.oregon.gov/odva/agency-programs/ grants/Pages/Educational-Bridge-Grant.aspx or email the program coordinator at ebg@odva.oregon.gov. Established in 1945, the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is dedicated to serving Oregon’s diverse veteran community that spans five eras of service members. ODVA administers programs and provides special advocacy and assistance in accessing earned veteran benefits across the state. Learn about veteran benefits and services, or locate a local county or tribal veteran service office online at oregon.gov/odva. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
