Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 2016)
8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016 Elder abuse: For every one case reported, ¿YHDUHQRW ever elder abuse conference last month, where scams and With elder abuse cases, law other barriers were discussed. enforcement and social service In addition, the state Legisla- workers face major hurdles ture is considering funding for that are not often seen in other 2UHJRQ¶V ¿UVW IXOOWLPH HOGHU crimes. Victims, such as the abuse prosecutor. Unfortunately, Hawks elderly Lake Oswego woman, die or have cognitive issues said, once an elderly person that make them unaware of the gets involved in a scam it can abuse. Records that might help become similar to a gambling SURYH ¿QDQFLDO DEXVH DUH QRW addiction. “Even with all of that always easily released from banks. Most of all, victims education, they will continue,” may not want to report a he said. “I wish I could tell family member or their only you we have had great success with victims of scammers, but caregiver. For every one case I can think of several where UHSRUWHG DXWKRULWLHV VD\ ¿YH they are currently involved in them.” are not. Continued from Page 1A ‘It’s their choice’ Financial exploitation Steve Hawks, an adult protective service worker through Northwest Senior and Disability Services, is tasked with investigating elder abuse in Clatsop County. His job is to investigate LI DQ LQFLGHQW RFFXUUHG ¿OH D report and offer social services to the victim. He works closely with law enforcement and RWKHUVLQKLV:DUUHQWRQRI¿FH and headquarters in Salem. He can strongly recom- mend a victim move into a foster home, assisted-living facility or accept in-home care, but the largest hurdle is that the decision is up to the elderly person. Unlike child protective services that can remove a child from a home, an adult has the right to make their own decisions. If an adult loses their cognitive ability to decide, it us up to a guardian or conservator. “I can’t remove an adult from a home under any circumstance. Sometimes I would like to, but I can’t,” Hawks said. “It’s their choice.” Last year, Clatsop County had 224 reports of elder abuse. Hawks was assigned to inves- tigate 133 of them. Just in January this year, Hawks has already investigated 20 cases. More than 38,000 elder abuse cases were reported statewide in 2014, up from about 30,000 in 2013. Hawks said he has not seen an increase in cases, but rather more complicated cases. “I see more of a trend of complex cases, especially ¿QDQFLDO H[SORLWDWLRQ´ KH said. “We have a lot of retired seniors here with some wealth. Their cases tend to be more complex.” Astoria Police Deputy Chief Eric Halverson said most elder abuse cases in Clatsop County involved VFDPV RU RWKHU ¿QDQFLDO exploitation similar to the case in Lake Oswego. Forgery or fraud calls to Astoria Dispatch have increased from 58 in 2012 to 163 in 2015. “It’s far more compli- cated now,” Halverson said. “A person can be anywhere in the world doing this. Actually being able to track it back and get to the source of it is very hard.” 6FDPV DQG ¿QDQFLDO exploitation prey on the victim’s trust. Victims are left feeling embarrassed and ashamed, which can lead to them not wanting to report the crime. ³:H VHH ¿QDQFLDO FULPHV more often than we do phys- ical abuse, but that’s not to say there is not physical abuse, as well,” Halverson said. 6RPH GHWHFWLYHV DQG RI¿- cers around Clatsop County carry a pocket guide for legal issues related to elder abuse. The pocket guide includes GH¿QLWLRQV IRU WKH GLIIHUHQW types of elder abuse. 3ROLFH RI¿FHUV GRFWRUV nurses, social workers, attor- neys, and many other profes- sionals are mandatory reporters of elder abuse. They can face penalties for not reporting an incident. Law enforcement is taught to look out for certain types of injuries. A common assault injury to the elderly is black eyes. In addition, Hawks said, he comes across a sex abuse case once or twice a year. No matter the type of elder abuse, Hawks said, it comes down to if the victim wants him to proceed. He will continue to visit a victim months after an initial report. He offers services and recommendations, but it’s the person’s choice to seek further help. “I have to be ready emotionally and mentally for walking away or being able to put something in place right then,” Hawks said. “Those are the sad ones, when I know I’ll be back.” Self-neglect The most common refer- rals Hawks receives are for cases of self-neglect. The reports usually come from concerned friends, family, Medix personnel or police RI¿FHUV Hawks said the percep- tion of self-neglect is being disheveled or not taking baths, but it is actually about cogni- tion. He asks the people if they understand not bathing or having moldy food in their refrigerator can be harmful. Hoarding is another example of self-neglect. “I had to climb up and into (a hoarder’s house),” Hawks said. “It was not a pleasant experience when I looked at what I crawled though to get to where the person was sleeping in the middle of everything.” When a scam is reported, it is assigned to Hawks as self-neglect. Since adults have the right to spend their money anyway they wish, scams DUH QRW FRQVLGHUHG ¿QDQFLDO exploitation. By investigating a scam as self-neglect, Hawks asks victims if they understand what they are doing. As an example, he will ask if they really think they will receive a check for $2 million from a lottery they never entered? The Oregon Department of Justice has been a huge resource in combating scams, Hawks said. Attorney General Ellen 5RVHQEOXP KRVWHG D ¿UVW Stepping in Prosecuting the niece in Seaside would likely not have been possible without the aunt’s dedicated friends. One happened to be an accountant, and another was a lawyer. One friend described the process as a full-time job. The friends and a Lake Oswego Police detective visited PXOWLSOH ¿QDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQV to piece together the evidence. They knew they needed a well-documented case to get a prosecution. The allegations of theft and criminal mistreatment spanned ¿YH\HDUVGDWLQJEDFNWR The stolen money, meant for Catholic charities after the aunt died, has since been sent to the charities. Prosecutors say the case shows the importance of watching out for the elderly, and the positive impacts of people willing to step in. “It took me a while to get over my shock,” a friend said. “I couldn’t believe anything like this would happen.” Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Cameron Moore smiles as he talks with people during a meet-and-greet for county manager candidates at the Barbey Maritime Center on Jan. 28. Manager:0RRUHZDVRQHRIDSSOLFDQWV Continued from Page 1A Regional Planning Commis- sion, which offers develop- “Being county manager is mental, planning and child- a great professional oppor- hood educational services to tunity, and Clatsop County local governments. Moore led is a great place to live, and an intergovernmental orga- I couldn’t be happier to be nization with a staff of 215 chosen,” Moore said in a employees and a $25 million press release. “I’m looking budget The News-Gazette news- forward to getting out there paper, based in Central Illi- and getting started.” Moore has nearly 30 years nois, noted the regional plan- of experience in public service ning commission had been administration and economic hurt by a lack of a state budget. development with several /DVW VXPPHU RI¿FHV DW WKH public and private entities. He planning commission’s center has held positions in Penn- closed, impacting 100 of the sylvania, Arizona, Iowa and agency’s employees. A low-in- come home energy assistance Illinois. Since 2007, he has served program and weatherization DV WKH FKLHI H[HFXWLYH RI¿FHU program were completely shut for the Champaign County down. “The employees being impacted are those where all or part of the funding for their position is not avail- able to us due to the lack of a state budget,” Moore told the newspaper. Moore has a bachelor’s degree in public administra- tion/political science/inter- national management from Augusta College in Illinois. He and his wife are avid hikers and outdoors enthu- siasts who have visited the 3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW RQ VHYHUDO occasions and had made it their long-term goal to settle in the area. +H ZDV RQH RI DSSOL- cants for the vacant county manager position. The Board of Commis- sioners worked with Heather Gantz, of the Waldron execu- WLYHVHDUFK¿UPWRQDUURZWKH ¿HOGWRWKUHH¿QDOLVWV “It was a tough deci- sion, we had some real great candidates,” Scott Lee, Board of Commissioners chairman, said. “We’re looking forwarding to working together.” Former Cannon Beach city manager Rich Mays will continue to serve as interim county manager until Moore arrives in April. The county manager is the top administrator for the county and oversees a $60.3 million budget and 203 employees. Tax: Those who rent for periods longer than 30 days will remain exempt from the local tax ZLWK ¿UH DQG SROLFH within” the city’s coverage, parks and right to remove the maintenance of our The city collects tax from exemption. “You are city, because there is condominiums and hotels, not adding a regula- a cost to the city for but has long exempted single- tion but removing an transient business.” family rentals from the exemption,” Watts Those who rent tax, which brings in about said. for periods longer “The reason the $210,000 in revenue to the than 30 days will City Council was city. remain exempt from “Rentals weren’t so preva- looking at this was the local transient lent, then,” Sweet said. “A few fairness,” Sweet said Chad lodging tax. years later, the council decided Thursday. “It levels Sweet Other exemp- WKH SOD\LQJ ¿HOG LQ to add this exemption.” tions to the city code By removing the exemp- terms of incoming will remain in effect, tion, he said, this will add transient business. including those for short-term rentals to the resi- Where condos and medical clinics, hotels had to pay it, dential zone. convalescent homes The city previewed their and homes did not, it and those whose rent actions at a work session wasn’t a fair tax.” is less than 50 cents 2I¿FLDOV LQWHQG last month when they unani- per day. mously supported regulation to use new revenues For 2015-16, the of short-term rental properties, to cover costs asso- city has budgeted stressing homeowner account- ciated with short- Peter in $210,000 from ability and the need for a term rental prop- Watts condos and hotels balance “between community erties, Sweet said. paying the 7 percent “Because we’re and privacy.” At that meeting, City going down this path, the transient lodging tax, Sweet Attorney Peter Watts advised taxation becomes important. said. The state requires an addi- RI¿FLDOV WKH\ ZHUH ³ZHOO This will also help potentially Continued from Page 1A tional 1 percent tax from transient rentals, without exemptions for single-family residences. State tax revenues go to promote Travel Oregon. If the City Council approves the removal of the exemption at their March 2 meeting, it would go into effect 30 days later. The council and Plan- ning Commission continue to develop short-term rental regulations. “We are putting the narra- tives together and beginning to form the zone code,” Sweet said. A short-term rental presen- tation at the Planning Commis- sion takes place Thursday, Sweet said, with a joint work session with the Planning Commission and the City Council in March. “We could KDYHWKH¿QDOYHUVLRQRIWKRVH regulations in June or July, and then we move forward from there.” Pot industry: It’s an agricultural enterprise ‘We look at it as a business opportunity. A significant part of our business is cannabis.’ Continued from Page 1A A lot of people attending the trade show were “consumers of the product,” Busenbark guessed. “We look at it as a busi- ness opportunity,” he said. “A VLJQL¿FDQW SDUW RI RXU EXVL- ness is cannabis.” The next aisle over held a booth for the Oregon Cannabis Association, a QRQSUR¿WSURIHVVLRQDORUJDQL- zation representing growers, processors, dispensaries and other businesses. The execu- tive director is Amy Margolis of Portland, whose Emerge Law Group specializes in ZHHGZRUN2QHRIWKH¿UP¶V attorneys, Dave Kopilak, was the primary drafter of 0HDVXUH ZKLFK OHJDOL]HG recreational use, possession and cultivation in Oregon. Voters approved it in 2014 and the law took effect July 1, 2015. Conventional farmers might respond “Hmm, well …” but Margolis said Oregon’s cannabis trade is, at root level, an agricultural enterprise. Voters said so. Blair Busenbark the chief operating officer and sales boss of Adaptive Plastics Inc., a Salem company Eric Mortenson/Capital Press Blair Busenbark, COO of Adaptive Plastics Inc. in Salem, says marijuana growers are new buyers of the company’s Solexx-brand greenhouse panels. ³,Q WKH\ RI¿FLDOO\ made cannabis an ag product,” she said. “The upshot is, this became a cash crop like any other cash crop.” But it is a different animal, for sure. One of the bigger RXW¿WV &KDOLFH )DUPV LV opening a 24,000-square-foot grow, processing and distribu- tion facility near the Portland Airport. It will be housed in a warehouse. Other businesses abound. Security firms that provide video monitoring and “product transport.” Soft- ware that allows you to check your regulatory compliance. Marketers, elec- tricians, packaging compa- nies and extraction services. The latter extract cannabis oil from fibrous marijuana plant material. The oil is used in edibles consumed by medical marijuana patients. Some of the businesses crowding into cannabis will no doubt fall by the wayside, but people attending the convention seemed ready to chase what they see as economic opportunity. Noah Stokes, founder and CEO of CannaGuard, a secu- ULW\ ¿UP RSHQHG WKH FRQIHU- ence by noting marijuana is still federally illegal. “We’re saying screw it, we’re actually going to do this,” Stokes said, “and I love it.”
