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A2 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2019 IN BRIEF OHSU heart transplant deaths spiked before program shut down A Relay for Life PORTLAND — In 2017, the year before every car- diologist in the Oregon Health & Science University Hospital heart transplant program quit, the program experienced an alarming number of patient deaths. The Oregonian reported the hospital eventually lost twice the number of people analysts expected. Since then, OHSU has dropped to among the worst places in the U.S. to receive a heart transplant. A July 2019 report from the Scientifi c Regis- try of Transplant Recipients shows that people who received a heart transplant at OHSU Hospital in the last two years are at 67% higher risk to die in the fi rst year after the operation than patients at comparable programs. While OHSU Hospital offi cials say that the implo- sion of the heart program is unrelated to the deaths, the trend indicates that the heart transplant program started to experience trouble over a year before four cardiologists left. — Associated Press Photos by Jeff Ter Har/For The Astorian CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Relay for Life came to Seaside on Saturday and Sunday. The 26th annual event raised money to help friends, family and neighbors win their battles with cancer. The event off ered hope and support for cancer survivors and their caregivers. Lorraine Brown and Tami Olson off er smiles as they circle the Seaside High School track. Oregon raises objections to Jordan Cove LNG project Oregon says federal environmental impact fi ndings for the Jordan Cove liquefi ed natural gas project are inadequate and sometimes incorrect. State agencies submitted 250 pages of comments to federal energy regulators this month on the proj- ect’s draft environmental impact statement. The Fed- eral Energy Regulatory Commission has the power to determine whether the controversial project can be built. The Canadian company Pembina is proposing to build an LNG export terminal and pipeline in south- west Oregon. Natural gas from the Rockies and Can- ada would be piped from a new pipeline juncture in the Klamath County town of Malin about 230 miles across public and private property to a terminal at the Port of Coos Bay. There, the gas would be liquefi ed and loaded onto tanker ships bound for Asia. Several Oregon state agencies reviewed economic, environmental and social impacts outlined in the proj- ect’s draft environmental impact statement, for which the public comment period closed on July 5. The over- all message was that Jordan Cove and federal energy regulators do not tell the full story of how the project will affect local communities. Some of the most critical feedback came from Ore- gon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Indus- tries, which evaluated Jordan Cove’s plans to handle landslides, tsunamis and a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. “Geologically, it’s a very active area,” said DOG- AMI resiliency engineer Yumei Wang of the four- county region in southwest Oregon. She said for natural disasters like a Cascadia earth- quake, it’s not if it’s going to happen, it’s when. “When it happens, has the facility been designed to be safe? You don’t want to have things exploding and failing in a ways that hurt the public,” she said. — Oregon Public Broadcasting DEATH July 14, 2019 STROM, Anita Laverne, 80, of Seaside, died in Sea- side. Caldwell’s Funeral & Cremation Arrangement Center of Seaside is in charge of the arrangements. ON THE RECORD Criminal trespass • Kegan Michael French, 34, of Seaside, was arrested on Saturday for criminal trespass and telephone harassment on U.S. Highway 101 in Warrenton. DUII • Douglas Grant Dickerson, 65, of West- port, was arrested on Sunday on McLean Hill Road in Westport for driving under the infl uence of intoxi- cants, contempt of court, menacing and ex-con- vict in possession of a fi rearm. PUBLIC MEETINGS TUESDAY Port of Astoria Commis- sion, 4 p.m., Port offi ces, 10 Pier 1 Suite 209. Astoria Historic Landmarks Commission, 5:15 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District, 5:15 p.m., Bob Chisholm Community Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Lewis & Clark Fire De- partment Board, 6 p.m., main fi re station, 34571 U.S. Highway 101 Business. Shoreline Sanitary District Board, 7 p.m., Gearhart Hertig Station, 33496 West Lake Lane, Warrenton. Seaside Planning Commis- sion, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. WEDNESDAY Seaside Tourism Advisory Committee, 3 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. Seaside Tree Board, 4 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. THURSDAY Seaside Transportation Advisory Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broad- way. Established July 1, 1873 Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2019 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective May 1, 2019 MAIL (IN COUNTY) EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$11.25 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 Rebuilding Together seeks volunteers and donations Help available for homeowners By PATRICK WEBB Chinook Observer LONG BEACH, Wash. — A p eninsula group called Rebuilding Together has a message: Help is on the way. The all-volunteer group exists to help low-income homeowners fi x up their homes. And its members have enjoyed some success, helping fi x up 340 homes in the past decade. This year the group has already assisted with 28 homes — well on its way to matching its annual average of 30 to 40. Unlike Habitat for Humanity, the national group that builds new homes from the ground up, Rebuilding Together’s focus refl ects its name. It is all about fi xing existing houses. Nationwide, there are about 140 groups, and the Long Beach operation is one of the smallest. “The whole idea of this is to keep people in their homes — safe and warm,” said Magen Michaud, trea- surer of the local chapter. Members of the group are mindful that Pacifi c County often appears on listings as one of the poor- est counties in Washing- ton state. The year-round population, especially on the Long Beach Peninsula, consists of many low-in- come people, often elderly; many are veterans needing help. People who would like help must apply through the i nformation and a ssistance center on Pacifi c Highway just north of Long Beach. They must own and live in their own homes, and meet low-income criteria. These applications are then reviewed by a sev- en-member board of Rebuilding Together. “Everybody who calls gets considered,” Michaud said. The board puts together all-volunteer teams to get jobs scheduled. They call on about 20 volunteers, but basically it’s a core of about 10. Because of this, leaders are eager for more volun- teers to step up. Projects have included fi xing or eliminating dry rot on decks, removing trip- ping hazards, adding rails Photos by Patrick Webb/Chinook Observer Rebuilding Together board members Dick Lenahan and Jean Stauff er clean up a client’s yard on the Long Beach Peninsula. President Joe Cade, left, and Nick and Magen Michaud, board member and treasurer, are among leaders of the peninsula chapter of Rebuilding Together, which exists to help low- income people stay in their homes by fi xing them up. to handicapped-access ramps, replacing old win- dows or old worn carpet with more durable fl ooring, installing grab bars in bath- rooms and installing new hot water tanks. In one recent case, vol- unteers installed an inciner- ator-style toilet. “We have a lot of people in need,” Michaud said. The average age of the people they have helped is 71, with an annual income of about $16,000. The aver- age beginning value of the houses is $52,000. “This is a really harsh coastal environment. We WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 have a lot of mobile or manufactured homes that don’t do well in this envi- ronment,” she added. “People tend to defer maintenance, but we want to help them stay healthy and safe. Summer is the best time to get ready for winter. It is the best time to replace the roof or fi x leaks.” Roof work is conducted by local licensed con- tractors, many of whom give the group favorable rates. So, too, is plumb- ing and electrical work that requires an expert. The vol- unteer group makes sure it buys locally when gather- ing materials for its repair. Churches, Boy Scout troops and fraternal groups like the Eagles Aerie, Moose and Elks lodges are among those whose mem- bers have pitched in to assist. The board of Rebuild- ing Together especially appreciates Long Beach Mayor Jerry Phillips’ sup- port recruiting help and get- ting the word out about the program. Phillips, in turn, com- mended their work. “It is a fantastic program for our seniors and people on a tight budget,” the mayor said. “There are some very sad stories and a lot of peo- ple don’t know it exists. “It is an organization that needs people who have skills with construction, and have their own tools, as well as donations.” Michaud, a retired gov- ernment worker, came to the p eninsula from Renton in 2015 with husband, Nick . “I like using my skills and talents to give back to the community and as a way to help other peo- ple,” Michaud said. “It was always our plan to build a house and join up with this sort of thing.” That belief was echoed by her husband, who serves on the board and lends con- siderable practical exper- tise from his work as a contractor. “You get a good feel- ing,” said Nick Michaud. “Life has been good to us — we want to give back.” The jobs are varied. “One man leaned against his home and went through to the plaster board,” Nick Michaud added. “We replaced two sides with siding.” The group’s president is Joe Cade, a retired Bonne- ville Power Administration energy conservation offi cer who moved to the p enin- sula from Portland in 2009. He has similar anecdotes about projects. One house in Long Beach had walls that were leaning in two directions. “We jacked up the house and successfully cleared up the yard, too.” Cade said. And for him, the cama- raderie of recruiting oth- ers into the organization is rewarding. “I enjoy helping peo- ple and seeing the commu- nity improved,” he said. “I enjoy seeing people help other people — when you are working with a band of volunteers and they all say that it feels really good.” The Rebuilding Together board meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 5:15 p.m. at the Ocean Park Library. Visitors are welcome to attend to learn more about the program and how they can help. The group is also look- ing for donations which can be mailed or brought to the meeting.
