8A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016
Elder abuse:
For every one
case reported,
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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
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report and offer social services
to the victim. He works closely
with law enforcement and
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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
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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.
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more often than we do phys-
ical abuse, but that’s not to say
there is not physical abuse, as
well,” Halverson said.
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cers around Clatsop County
carry a pocket guide for legal
issues related to elder abuse.
The pocket guide includes
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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
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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
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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-
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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
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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.
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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
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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.”