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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 Astoria students seek support for Walldorf exchange Program on hiatus last year MORE INFORMATION Visit the senior project site at http://tinyurl.com/ yco6993g. Contact Schacher about donations at 503-440- 8316 and mschacher18@ astoriak12.org By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Two Astoria High School seniors are raising money to send students to Walldorf, Germany, after the American side of the exchange went on hiatus last year for the fi rst time since 9/11. Andrew Schauermann and Megan Schacher both have German heritage and sib- lings who have traveled on the yearly exchange. Their families host exchange stu- dents each year. The two were taken aback by last year, when only one student could go and the American side of the exchange was canceled. They are trying to raise at least $20,000 by January to help cover airfare, which can be about half the cost of the exchange. Walldorf is the hometown of Astoria namesake John Jacob Submitted P hoto From left, Andrew Schauermann, Jim Pierce and Megan Schacher are raising money and gathering host families to resta rt the Astoria School District’s student exchange with Walldorf, Germany. Astor, whose American Fur Co. founded Fort Astoria in 1811. Walldorf and Astoria have been sister cities since 1963. Advising Schacher and Schauermann is Jim Pierce, a Warrenton Police Depart- ment sergeant who has orga- nized the trip to Germany for the past 15 years, since his daughter went. “Last year, I’m not sure what happened,” he said. “I think the cost of the trip is probably one of the most … challenging portions of this trip.” Walldorf students receive corporate sponsorships and support from the city’s local chamber of commerce, Schacher said, and only pay about $1,000 to come to America. Pierce tries to keep the cost of the trip, which includes 10 days in Walldorf and touring sites across Western Europe, at around $2,500 per student. But whether students can go often depends on fundrais- ing and families forking up the travel costs. “With Megan and Andrew doing this project, we are hoping to get some fundrais- ers set up so students can help pay for this trip,” he said. “Some of the ideas are maybe an individual money match, or individual sponsorships, where someone from the community might help share in the trip by helping them singularly.” Pierce pays his own way to Germany each year, while sponsoring a lower-income student and part of a female chaperone. Since summer vacation, Schauermann has been col- lecting cans for deposit. He and Schacher are organizing fundraisers such as a Ger- man dinner and silent auc- tion. The two are also trying to fi nd host families for the exchange students arriving in November. About seven Astoria stu- dents are interested in going so far, but the goal is to get at least 11 for discounted airfare, Schacher said. The exchange program prefers Astoria students but is open to families throughout the county, Pierce said. State says it’s too early to judge unpaid revenue collection efforts By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — Five months after Gov. Kate Brown ordered the state to shore up its debt collection practices, the revenue department says it’s too early to tell how much money it’s brought in as a result. As of mid-2016, the state was owed about $3.3 billion in unpaid taxes, fees and fi nes, according to a Decem- ber analysis by the nonparti- san Legislative Fiscal Offi ce. About $600 million to $800 million of that sum is owed to the state’s general fund, and 95 percent of that is unpaid taxes, the g over- nor’s o ffi ce said in April. The governor also ordered other state agencies to report the money they’re owed to the state’s c hief o perating o ffi cer, as well as how much of it is collectible. As Oregon lawmakers scrambled to balance the state’s budget this legislative session, they too renewed efforts to collect some of that money, pushing for more oversight and hiring at the Department of Revenue. Although it can’t say whether the governor’s executive order has made an impact, the revenue depart- ment is preparing to imple- ment a system that allows state agencies to determine whether vendors owe the state money, said spokes- woman Joy Krawczyk. Using that system, the revenue department can gar- nish payments to vendors to cover the debt. The revenue depart- ment is piloting the sys- tem with the state Depart- ment of Transportation. At fi rst, the focus will be on tax debt. If it’s successful, the department will use it when it helps collect debt on behalf of other state and local agencies. The revenue department — which is expected to col- lect more than $20 billion in revenue in the next two years — has been plagued with issues in the past decade, many of them identifi ed by multiple audits. At the urging of the Leg- islature, the department is expected to undergo addi- tional external and internal reviews in the near future. Krawczyk says the depart- ment has met the report- ing requirements laid out in Brown’s executive order, and is working on a report about whether it’s feasible to pub- licly post information about the state’s debtors online, as the governor has called for. The agency is also work- ing to recruit for and fi ll Clatsop Post 12 Meatloaf Dinner with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Veggies, Caesar Salad & Roll Friday Sept. 29 th W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber 4 pm until gone $ 8. 00 6PM “Karaoke Dave” ASTORIA AMERICAN LEGION Clatsop Post 12 N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A 1132 Exchange Street 325-5771 Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 N e w vacant positions, according to director Nia Ray. State agencies, under another bill passed this session, are now required to report debt they write off to the Depart- ment of Administrative Ser- vices by Dec. 31 every year. The Capital Bureau is a col- laboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. T a co Feed Shela’s Fam ous Tacos! Saturday, Septem ber 30 th 12 M onths Huge 10am - 4PM Sam e As Savings! Cash! O.A.C. Custom er Appreci ati on 20-40% off all furniture! Full color, scenic montage postcards of Astoria now available at the Daily Astorian office! 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