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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2015)
NORTH COAST THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015 3A State task force recommends student threat assessment system By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau The Oregon Task Force on School Safety agreed Thursday to recommend development of a statewide student threat assess- ment system aimed at prevent- ing shootings and other violence at public schools. The project would be mod- eled after a student threat assess- ment system in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, said task force member Dave Novotney, superintendent of Willamette Education Service District. In that system, when schools re- ceive an indication of threaten- ing or destructive behavior, the system deploys a team of law enforcement, educators and counselors to respond. The team may help connect the student with resources such as mental health counseling or provide the student with more supervision. “The idea is to intervene with hope we can nudge them off their trajectory and help them make decisions that are positive,” said John Van Dre- al, director of school and risk management services at Sa- lem-Keizer School District. The system started taking shape in 1999 in Salem-Keizer schools and later expanded to all of the schools in the Willamette district. Measuring the effectiveness of the system has been challeng- ing. “You can’t measure events that don’t happen,” Van Dreal said. Surveys of school admin- istrators and counselors in- dicate the system has helped to enhance a sense of safety on campuses, Van Dreal said. Schools in several other states, including California and Ida- ho, have adopted the protocols, he said. Recommendation by the state task force calls for estab- lishing response teams in eight regions in the state and provid- ing training to employees. Threat assessment capabil- ities across the state are spotty, said Novotney, who also is a task force member. Threat as- sessment protocols in some school districts are re¿ned while in other places, the plans are nonexistent, he said. Expanding the system statewide would cost about $1.1 million, Novotney said. The task force voted unan- imously Thursday to recom- mend the plan to the Legislature in February and named it as one of its top priorities for the legis- lative session. “It is much better to prevent these things than to respond to them,” said Beaver- ton Police Chief Geoff Spald- ing, a task force member. The task force also continues to pursue plans to resurrect a tip line for information on threats to educational institutions and start a statewide database of school Àoor plans and safety protocols. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Me- dia Group and Pamplin Media Group. As need grows HeOping Hands city partner to ¿ght homeOessness Grant would help provide housing for organization’s re-entry program By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group SEASIDE — Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers and the city of Seaside will collabo- rate on a federal grant application to help the nonpro¿t organization build or purchase a new facility for the homeless in Seaside. “We’re outgrowing our fa- cility we’ve had for the past 14 years,” said Alan Evans, the executive director of Helping Hands. “We’re at full capacity with waiting lists, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” The Seaside City Council voted unanimously this month to be the sponsoring agency for Helping Hands on a com- munity development block grant, a program run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The block grant program provides annual grants on a for- mula basis to local governments and states. Nonpro¿t agencies cannot host the grants them- selves and must be backed by a government entity, which is why Helping Hands asked for the city’s support, Evans said. “Homelessness is an issue that should be dealt with on a level that our city is involved in it, our county is involved in it,” he said. “The resources need to be provided by nonpro¿ts and local government together be- cause the responsibility is ours as a community.” Helping Hands is seeking to either purchase or build a new facility to use for housing indi- viduals in the organization’s re- entry program. In the ¿rst three Tuarters of this year, the organization served more than 400 individual clients in Clatsop, Yamhill and Lincoln counties, with a majority of ser- vice taking place in Seaside be- cause of the emergency shelter. The grant process During the City Council R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian Helping Hands and the city of Seaside are teaming to seek a grant for a new facility. meeting, Seaside Mayor Don Larson said he believes the grant will be successful, but urged participating parties to exercise patience. “You just have to un- derstand you’re not going to get it tomorrow, or by the end of the year,” he said. Helping Hands currently is eyeing two options for the new site. The ¿rst is undeveloped Northwest Oregon Housing Authority property on the south end of Seaside near Avamere at Necanicum Village. The sec- ond option is a former Coldwell Banker building on South Roos- evelt Drive. “What we have to weigh out right now is, what is the best bang for the buck?” Evans said. To help answer that Tuestion, Helping Hands is forming a team of individuals from differ- ent entities with a vested interest in the project — such as Clatsop County, Seaside, law enforce- ment agencies, the housing au- thority and others. The team will determine what direction the organization wants to go, craft plans for the new facility, orga- nize a budget and then present the information to the city and share what “will best serve the need,” Evans said. The infor- mation will be used for the grant application. “It’s going to be a lot of work, and the city has to pull off the grant,” he added. If the grant is successful and property is acTuired, the city will own the facility and then lease it to Helping Hands at a rate to be determined. Expanding to new territory Helping Hands is also tak- ing its services to Tillamook County. The organization re- cently acTuired a facility in Tillamook to convert into a 2nd annual B e an AS OC Angel “Fu n- R aise r ” TH U RSDAY Chase begins in Seaside, ends with death of fugitive Associated Press Authorities say a man wanted on attempted murder charges ¿red at pursuing of- ¿cers before he was shot and killed by police to end a 40- mile chase on Highway 26 in the Coast Range. The Washington County Sheriff’s Of¿ce says 6-year- old Andrew Dehart was taken to a hospital late Wednesday and was pronounced dead. The highway east of Oregon 47 was closed through the night. The sheriff’s of- ¿ce said Dehart was wanted for attempt- ed murder, kidnap- ping and assault charges in Clark County, Washington. U.S. Marshals found him at a Andrew Garrette Dehart friend’s home in Seaside, but he Àed as the marshals waited for backup to arrive. Authorities say Dehart shot at police cars, disabling one of them, and contin- ued shooting until he reached a tunnel. Sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Ray says three officers got out of their at the east end of the tunnel. They fired at Dehart and his truck came to a stop. homeless relief center. The group is ¿nishing the process to get a condition- al-use permit, with the hope “to have the doors open” in Tillamook as an emergency shelter by Dec. 1, Evans said. Helping Hands registered the building, which used to be a naval command center during World War II, as a historical structure. The organization is working with the Pioneer Mu- seum to build a memorial for military members stationed there during the war. The goal is to bring the building “back to life” and celebrate its histor- ical aspect, Evans said. “We are going to make sure the exterior piece of the building tells that story and the hallways in the building tell that story of what it was there for and the importance of history in a community,” he said. “It’s all about form- ing partnerships and making sure communities understand homelessness.” N OVEM B ER 12 TH Sponsored by Michael Foster DOORS OPEN AT 5:00 PM | DINNER SERVED AT 5:45 PM AT ASTO RIA EVEN TS C EN TER TICKETS: $40 Includes dinner, drink, coupons, entertainment and auction SPACE IS LIMITED and can only be reserved by calling our ticket hotline: 503-325-6104 or Holly McHone Jewelry: 503-325-8029 Astoria Events Center 255 - 9TH STREET www.astorstreetoprycompany.com W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500 20 % O FF ENTIRE STORE VOLUN T E E R PICK OF THE WEE K Moses October 27th-31st Three-yea r-old Am erica n long ha ir. W ith vita lity a nd w a rm th of spirit, M oses is a tried a nd true com pa nion for every sea son. (excludes consignm ent) ART CARDS, ARTISAN CRAFTS, GALLERY & WORKING STUDIO Sponsored by 1133 COMMERCIAL ST. ASTORIA 503.468.0308 T.J.’s Auto Repair CLATSOP COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER 1315 SE 19th St., Warrenton • 861- PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat Kathern Leslie Burks Licensed Beautician, 71 It is with great sorrow that we report the passing of our incredible mother, Kathy Burks. Kathy Burks, 71, of Gearhart, Oregon, passed away Saturday, October 24, 2015. Kathy was born to John Leslie Burks and Mary Ruth Burks (Triller) in Grants Pass, Oregon on April 16, 1944. She graduated from Blackford High School in San Jose California and later graduated from Beauty school. Kathy enjoyed her work as a beautician, going on cruises, watching her humming birds, sewing, gardening and Coors Light in a bottle. She was preceded in death by both of her parents. Kathy is survived by her five sons Dan Keranen, Keith Keranen, Dean Keranen, J.P. Lannigan and Rick Lannigan, her grandchildren Daniel Hamilton, James Hamilton, Colby Lupfer and Kylie Keranen and her great grandchild Rayna Jo June Hamilton. There will be a celebration of life potluck being held at the S e a s i d e A m e r i c a n L e g i o n o n F r i d ay, No v e m b e r 6 t h a t 5 : 0 0 p m . In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her name to Providence Cancer Center in Portland, Oregon. Co m fo rt Zo n e. There is a tim e to step ou t of you r com fort zon e a n d a tim e to em bra ce it. D ew ils cu stom ca bin ets a re m a d e to you r specifica tion s, so you ca n crea te a spa ce tha t’s u n iq u ely you rs. DEW ILS .CO M Bergerson Tile & Stone an d C abin ets F RE E Q UO TE S VISIT OUR SHOWROOM www.bergersontile.com 1033 Marine Dr. | Astoria 503-325-7767
