3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
Extreme poverty persists in Oregon despite broader recovery
Some areas
have been left
behind in revival
By NATASHA RAUSCH
The Oregonian
KLAMATH FALLS —
Misti Scott and a dozen others
show up each Wednesday for a
two-hour parenting class at the
Faith Tabernacle church.
Scott can’t stay long after
class to chat. As a 38-year-old
single mother, she has three
teenage boys to tend to.
“Do you want one?” she
asks jokingly.
The class is required if she
wants to continue to receive
two years of help with rent
payments.
Her two years is up in
March, though. That scares
her.
Her rental home is in the
Mills Addition neighborhood
of Klamath Falls. The south-
ern Oregon county that once
boasted dozens of lumber and
paper mills now has three. In
addition to the decline of its
largest industry, the county
suffers from a lack of hous-
ing availability, an aging pop-
ulation, an inlux of alcohol-
ism and drugs and a shortage
of jobs. Compounding the
problems, the county lost two
grocery stores and a major
employer last year.
Scott’s
neighborhood,
where 35 percent of residents
live below the poverty line,
relects the repeated blows.
Mills Addition is one of
the poorest neighborhoods in
Oregon. Its houses have been
scooped up on the cheap by
landlords who rent to low-
wage workers. The homes are
unkempt, grass overgrown,
and for every few occupied
houses, one is abandoned.
The community is a stark
reminder that even as the state
enjoys historic job growth and
low unemployment, pockets of
deep poverty are untouched by
the economic recovery.
Communities like Mills
Addition are the lipside of
gentriied
neighborhoods.
Instead of a relatively rapid
transformation to development
and afluence, these areas tend
to slide into abject poverty
over decades. Because it’s
a slow change, people often
overlook the changes.
In Oregon, the state has
designated 112 “high poverty
hotspots,” where 20 percent or
more of the residents are at or
below the poverty line.
Nearly half are located in
rural counties. In Klamath
County, there are four.
The community is a stark reminder that even
as the state enjoys historic job growth and
low unemployment, pockets of deep poverty
are untouched by the economic recovery.
One man asks another, “Do
you know what time it is?”
The man shakes his head.
Others in the room look around
for a clock; no one has a watch
or a smartphone with the time.
“12:51,” a reporter tells
him.
He runs out without being
helped. Another woman walks
in and takes a number.
“Ninety-eight.”
Fifth-worst poverty
spot in Oregon
No degree, no job
Each hotspot has a ranking,
and Mills Addition is ifth-
worst of Oregon’s 112. This
particular hotspot has the sec-
ond-highest per capita partic-
ipation in the state’s low-in-
come food program and nearly
one-third of households are run
by a single parent, according to
a May 2015 state report. Mills
Addition also has the sev-
enth-highest rate of involve-
ment by state child welfare
case workers, relected by the
lines at the local Department
of Human Services ofice just
a mile away.
“Ninety-six,” a clerk calls
on a summer afternoon, and
the next client makes her way
to the counter.
District manager Jeremy
Player said no one wants to be
here, to need the services the
agency can help provide.
“It’s a last resort,” he said.
“I see a lot of pain and suffer-
ing walk through that door.”
A man with curly blond
hair walks in and back out of
the lobby door several times,
hesitating.
The fourth time, he lingers.
“I can’t do this,” he inally
shouts. “It’s too much for my
anxiety.”
He exits and doesn’t come
back.
“Ninety-seven.”
Player said when the tim-
ber industry was the largest
employer it was easy to drop
out of school, work for a lum-
ber mill and still provide for a
family.
But that’s not the case any-
more — and he’s trying to
change that mentality. Still, last
year only 72 percent of Klam-
ath County students graduated
high school in four years.
Player and his coworkers
knock on the doors of chron-
ically absent kids and see
how they can help get them to
school. They have passed out
diplomas and even shaken the
hands of middle-aged people
who went back to get a degree.
Just a month ago, Klamath
even held a irst-ever gradua-
tion parade for graduates of all
levels of school, even kinder-
gartners. The hope is for it to
become an annual event.
Scott said she never got her
college degree. Right now, she
doesn’t have a job because it’s
too hard to ind one with three
boys at home.
Before moving to the Mills
a year ago, she was homeless
for a little over a year, couch
suring or staying in hotels
most nights. She sent her boys
to live with her brother in
Medford. She stayed behind,
with nothing but a car that had
no license or registration. And
she had a lot on her mind after
escaping a bad relationship.
“It was emotionally drain-
ing,” she said.
Housing is tough to ind in
a county where there’s only
2 percent vacancy, and some
vacant homes aren’t it for
living.
But the local Klamath and
Lake County Action Services
action services helped ind her
a spot to rent. The only down-
side was the location, in Mills
Addition.
Scott calls it the ghetto.
“But I’m ghetto fabulous,” she
said.
Paul Stewart, chief exec-
utive of Sky Lakes Medical
Center, said the answer to pov-
erty is to create living-wage
jobs. There aren’t nearly
enough of them in Klamath
County right now, he says.
“Work is not just a source
of income; it’s a source of self-
value and self-esteem,” he
said. “It makes you more func-
tional and more healthy.”
Stewart came to Klamath
Falls 30 years ago and planned
on staying a few years before
moving to a bigger market.
But he and his family fell in
love with the town.
These days, he even has six
grandkids in the area.
“Now I’m personally
invested in this community
thriving,” he said.
No full recovery
until 2024
Klamath, like most other
rural Oregon counties, still
hasn’t recovered from the
Great Recession.
In fact, it’s still 8.8 percent
below its peak pre-recession
employment levels. The Ore-
gon Employment Department
Astoria woman sentenced ive years for theft, forgery
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
An Astoria woman who
counterfeited money and com-
mitted theft and attempted
robbery with her boyfriend
was sentenced to ive years in
prison.
Robyn Joyce Spear, 28,
pleaded no contest Friday
in Clatsop County Circuit
Court to charges of irst-de-
gree theft, irst-degree forgery
and attempted second-degree
robbery.
The crime spree
mal traps, camp-
occurred between
ing gear, parts of an
October 2015 and
antique grandfather
January.
clock, dishes and
In
October,
other items from
Spear and her boy-
two storage units in
friend,
Cameron
Warrenton.
James McKey, 25,
Later that month,
of Astoria, each
they stole more than
attempted to pass a
$1,000 worth of
counterfeit $20 bill
tools from Englund
Robyn Joyce
at the Astoria Mini
Marine & Industrial
Spear
Mart on two sepa-
Supply. In January,
rate occasions.
they attempted to rob a woman
In December, Spear and in Astoria.
McKey stole crab pots, ani-
During the four-month time
frame, Spear also forged a
check at Columbia Bank, and
stole jewelry and other per-
sonal items from another local
woman.
Overall, Spear is ordered to
pay more than $13,500 in res-
titution to the victims. She is
also ordered to have no contact
with the victims, and not asso-
ciate with McKey.
McKey received a ive-year
prison sentence in June after
pleading guilty to the similar
charges.
Ailing Korean shipper Hanjin moves to resolve cargo chaos
By YOUKYUNG LEE
Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea — Moving to
unsnarl the chaos in its container cargo
after it iled for bankruptcy protection,
Hanjin Shipping Co. will seek stay orders
in dozens of countries, the Financial Ser-
vices Commission said Monday.
Hanjin, South Korea’s largest ocean con-
tainer shipper, will seek bankruptcy protection
in 43 countries, including Canada, Germany
and Britain, and the government said it would
urge those countries to expedite the process.
Hanjin filed for bankruptcy in the
U.S. and South Korea last week.
A company spokeswoman, Park Eun-
hye, conirmed Hanjin was moving to
protect its assets but refused to specify in
how many countries, beyond the U.S. and
South Korea.
Notiications sent following ishing license data breach
By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — Notices
that personal information
might have been compro-
mised will be sent to hunting
and ishing license holders in
Idaho and Oregon following
the breach of a vendor’s com-
puter system. They likely will
be sent in Washington state,
too.
Oficials in Idaho and Ore-
gon said Dallas-based Active
Network will mail the notices
to people in their states fol-
lowing the computer hack last
week that shut down online
license sales.
Washington oficials said
they’re in contact with the
ll
Ca ime
yt
n
A
company and expect similar
letters to be sent in their state,
but that hadn’t been inalized
Friday. Oficials say the num-
ber of records exposed could
be in the millions.
Online license sales have
been halted in all three states
until the extent of the hack is
fully understood.
“They’ve only been able
to conirm that it was possible
that personal information was
accessed,” Idaho Department
of Fish and Game spokesman
Mike Keckler said. “We do not
know yet whether or not that
actually occurred, and we may
not ever know.”
Hunting and ishing licenses
can still be purchased at the
states’ wildlife ofices or at
businesses that sell the licenses.
It’s unclear when online
sales might resume.
“I don’t have an esti-
mate,” Bruce Botka of Wash-
ington’s wildlife agency said.
“Our most important concern
is ensuring the security of that
particular channel.”
Oficials in the three states
said only about 20 percent of
license sales occur online, with
about 80 percent in person at
state wildlife ofices or busi-
nesses that sell the licenses.
But that can be a prob-
lem for out-of-state hunters or
anglers planning trips to the
Northwest. Oregon oficials
have had to resort to process-
ing license applications over
the phone, said Rick Hargrave
of Oregon’s Department of
Fish and Wildlife.
“Kind of the old-school
way,” he said.
An Active Network spokes-
man didn’t return a call from
The Associated Press seeking
comment Friday.
503-440-2169
Jeff Hale,
Contractor
wood shavings and other
items to try to start the ire.
Kris Kaino, Engelson’s
A former part-time defense lawyer, said in
employee at Clatsop Com- court Friday that she never
munity College, who was intended to burn the build-
arrested twice for arson at ings down. She wanted
the college last winter, was to start the ires for per-
sentenced to 18 months sonal reasons, as a ritual
probation.
to cleanse her soul, Kaino
Erin
Jaynel
said.
Engelson, 38, of
“She
was
Naselle, Wash-
not trying to
ington, entered
burn something
Alford
guilty
down,”
Kaino
pleas to two
said.
counts of reckless
In
January,
burning, a Class
Judge
Cindee
A misdemeanor,
Matyas
found
Friday in Clatsop
Engelson unable
County Circuit
to aid and assist
Court.
in her criminal
Erin Jaynel
She was orig-
case. The judge
Engelson
inally
charged
ordered Engel-
with arson, burglary and son to be sent to the Oregon
criminal trespass. The State Hospital, where she
charges were dropped was treated for about two
through the plea agreement. months.
Astoria Police origi-
Engelson suffers from
nally arrested Engelson in mental health issues, but is
December after ire dam- receiving proper medica-
age, estimated at $250, was tion. She was able to plead
found on the loor of the to her crimes in court Friday.
college’s science lab.
As part of her proba-
While out of jail on a tion, she is ordered to take
release agreement, Engel- all prescribed medications
son was arrested in Janu- as directed by her physician
ary for attempting to start and comply with her mental
another bonire outside the health counseling program.
art building on the college
In addition, she is to
campus. She reportedly have no contact with the
used pieces of wood pallets, college.
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
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Jeff Hale P ainting
Over 20 years local experience
Kelley Minty Morris, chair
of the Klamath County Board
of Commissioners, is also try-
ing to turn the tide.
Morris, also a trustee at
the Oregon Institute of Tech-
nology, believes having the
college in town is a potential
game-changer for the area.
But only if some of the gradu-
ates stick around when they’re
done with school.
The problem, though, is
that educated young people
tend to leave.
“We all sit around tables all
the time asking, ‘How do we
get our grads to stay here?’”
she said.
Klamath County’s pop-
ulation is aging. Residents
65 and over increased 12.1
percent from 2012 to 2015,
while all other age groups
declined, according to Port-
land State University Popula-
tion Research Center.
Two Oregon Tech gradu-
ates did a study for their inal
project to determine how
many college graduates are
leaving and why.
Of the 634 students sur-
veyed, the study found 82
percent of graduates are
not likely to stay in Klam-
ath County after graduation.
The study showed the stu-
dents don’t feel connected to
the community and don’t see
a lot of local opportunity, so
they leave.
Morris said the commu-
nity as a whole needs to make
an effort to connect graduates
with the area, so they want to
stay after graduation. That way
their business ideas and their
education and training stay in
the county, too.
“If we could leverage Ore-
gon Tech,” she said, “then
that’s our biggest opportunity
to improve our economy.
The community is a stark
reminder that even as the state
enjoys historic job growth and
low unemployment, pockets of
deep poverty are untouched by
the economic recovery.
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predicts it won’t be out of the
hole until 2024.
The fastest growing indus-
try in the county, however, is
health care, and that’s some-
thing Stewart knows well.
His latest endeavor is
Klamath Works, designed as
a place where a community
of services for those in pov-
erty will come together on a
single campus. The campus is
scheduled to be inished in ive
years, and once that happens,
it will offer a one-stop shop for
access to housing, jobs, mental
and physical health, food and
government services.
Kent Berry, executive
director of the Gospel Mission
in Klamath Falls, is another
one of the masterminds behind
the plan.
He’s already raised nearly
$1 million to fund three new
buildings on the campus.
One will be housing for men,
another one will be housing
for women and the third will
be for serving meals.
Berry was a pastor in Texas
for 30 years before coming to the
current Gospel Mission location
in downtown Klamath Falls. He
kept his southern drawl.
Berry said he’s giving hope
to once hopeless people.
Among them is 38-year-old
Marshall Johnson, who was
staying at the mission until he
can get back on his feet. He
grew up in Los Angeles, but
11 years ago his dad gave him
money to move to Klamath
Falls to start a new life after
getting caught up in alcohol
and methamphetamines. He
said his biggest regret is doing
that irst line of meth as an
18-year-old.
He lived at the Rivers Inn
hotel until his money ran out.
Then he came to the mission.
Young people leave
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