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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2019)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2019 IN BRIEF Recreational use advisory issued for Cullaby Lake The Oregon Health Authority has issued a recre- ational use health advisory for Cullaby Lake due to the presence of a cyanobacterial (harmful algae) bloom and cyanotoxins (harmful algae toxins). People are advised not to swim or engage in other recreational activities in the lake where blooms are identifi ed. However, people are still encouraged to visit Cullaby Lake and enjoy activities out of the water. Boating is safe as long as speeds do not create excessive water spray, which could lead to inhalation risk. People are advised not to drink water from the lake. The authority says toxins cannot be removed by boil- ing, fi ltering or treating water with camping-style fi lters. People who are not on a well or a public water sys- tem and draw in-home water directly from an affected area are advised to use an alternative water source because not all private treatment systems are proven effective in removing cyanotoxins. Fish caught from areas where cyanobacterial blooms are present should have the fat, skin and organs removed before cooking or freezing, as toxins are more likely to collect in these tissues, the authority said. The fi llets should also be rinsed with clean water. Exposure to cyanotoxins can be serious and result in a range of symptoms which may require medical attention. Children and pets are at increased risk of exposure. For health information or to report an illness, con- tact the Oregon Health Authority at 971-673-0482. Grand opening today for Klootchy Creek trails The North Coast Trail Alliance invites the public to a grand opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today to cel- ebrate new off-road cycling trails at Klootchy Creek Park on U.S. Highway 26, about 2 1/2 miles east of Seaside. A ribbon-cutting by Mark Morgans of Green- Wood Resources and announcements are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. There will be shuttles to Twin Peaks for riders and nonriders to see the expanse or the property and the view down into Seaside. Lunch and refreshments will be served from 1 to 3 p.m. — The Astorian Plan to slow Western wildfi res would clear strips of land SALT LAKE CITY — The Trump administration is proposing an ambitious plan to slow Western wildfi res by bulldozing, mowing or revegetating large swaths of land along 11,000 miles of terrain in the West. The plan would create strips of land known as “fuel breaks” on about 1,000 square miles managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in an area known as the Great Basin in parts of Idaho, Oregon, Washing- ton, California, Nevada and Utah. The estimated cost would be about $55 million to $192 million. It would cost another $18 million to $107 million each year to maintain the strips and ensure vegetation doesn’t regrow on the strips of land. Wildfi re experts say the program could help slow fi res, but it won’t help in the most extreme fi res that can jump these strips of land. The breaks could also fragment wildlife habitat. An environmental group calls it an ill-conceived and expensive plan that has no scientifi c backing to show it will work. — Associated Press CORRECTION Date incorrect — The Titanic sank in April 1912. An item on B1 in In One Ear on Thursday incorrectly said the ship sank in 2012. ON THE RECORD DUII • Travis James Gris- more, 37, of Ocean Park, Washington, was arrested in Warrenton on Wednes- day for driving under the infl uence of intoxicants. The Clatsop County Sheriff’s Department said he was trying to reverse his car but instead rolled forward, hitting two cars. • Brittany Ann Bock, 29, of Astoria, was arrested Wednesday on 29th Street and Marine Drive for DUII and reck- less driving. Her blood alcohol content was 0.23%. • Claressa Durfee, 27, of Hammond, was arrested Thursday in Hammond for driving under the infl uence of intoxicants. Her blood alcohol content was 0.17%. PUBLIC MEETINGS MONDAY Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. Luke Whittaker/Chinook Observer The site of the living history exhibition at Knappton Cove Heritage Center. ‘Living History’ provides look into the experiences of Lewis and Clark By LUKE WHITTAKER Chinook Observer KNAPPTON, Wash. — The beaver tail was good, but the whale blubber was savored, especially com- pared to their daily ration of dog meat. A look into the daily life, experiences — and diet — of the Lewis and Clark expe- dition was detailed in an interactive “Living History” program at the Knappton Cove Heritage Center last weekend. Costumed members of the Pacifi c Northwest Liv- ing Historians demonstrated tools and skills used during the Lewis and Clark expe- (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 Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR 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 Union says late pay has been an issue for decades, and state has been slow to respond. By AUBREY WIEBER Oregon Capital Bureau Workers hired by the state to give in-home care for some of Oregon’s most vulnerable say the Oregon Department of Human Ser- vices is repeatedly not pay- ing them on time. It’s caused by a software error and has been happen- ing since the 1990s, said Rebecca Sandoval, a Ser- vice Employees Interna- tional Union Local 503 board member and home- care worker. “People are getting evicted from their homes, their credit is getting ruined,” Sandoval said to about 50 other SEIU mem- bers protesting Thursday outside DHS headquarters in Salem. SEIU 503 has about 18,000 dues-paying home- care members and bargains contracts for about 30,000 homecare workers. Sando- val said the union does have data showing how many workers have been paid late and how frequently it hap- pens, but it wasn’t available Thursday. A survey sent out by the union to homecare workers in December asked a vari- ety of questions to see what the union should focus on in bargaining. Of the 1,950 respondents, 42 percent said they’ve been paid late. Sandoval receives about three calls per month from members who are late to be paid, she said. The issue is the software system sometimes deletes timecards the workers sub- mit, several protesters explained. Then when work- ers complain because they aren’t paid, DHS employ- ees ask for proof of work, meaning the system erased the timecards. It can take months to resolve, mean- while workers are late on their bills and have to bor- row money or take out loans. One woman, who asked to only be identifi ed by her fi rst name, Esperanza, takes care of several little kids. Recently she fi led for renewal of her license, and the paperwork was erased by the system, she said. When she went into the DHS offi ce, a caseworker became angry and began yelling at her. She was offended and left, and it made her reluc- tant to go back. It took three months to resolve the issue, during which time she was out of work and the children didn’t have a caretaker. She had to borrow money from family to pay her bills. Esperanza’s experience was similar to several pro- testers rallying outside DHS. They shared stories, made signs and signed peti- tions while Neil Young’s “Union Man” played in the background. At 12:45 p.m., the group marched into the build- ing and circled the lobby, chanting things like “Gov- ernment, pay your bills on time!” They occupied the build- ing lobby for about 15 min- utes while DHS employ- ees on the second and third fl oors peered down at the demonstration. They requested Aging and People with Disabilities Director Ashley Carson Cottingham and Developmental Disabil- ities Services Director Lilia Teninty come down and per- sonally take the stacks of 1,000 written accounts and petitions from members detailing the impacts of not being paid on time. The women never came down. DHS’s communica- tions staff declined to talk with reporters directly, but EMERALD HEIGHTS APARTMENTS Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter Homecare workers represented by SEIU 503 march into the Department of Human Services building to protest late pay. issued a statement. “Our data shows that the vast majority of payments are on time,” spokeswoman Sherryll Johnson Hoar said. “The instances in which a payment is later than the scheduled payroll date can be the result of a number of issues, from incomplete information submitted to an error on the state’s part.” Hoar provided data stat- ing that of the two sys- tems that processed home- care workers’ pay, one paid employees late 2.2 percent of the time, and the other .0007 percent of the time. The statement also said they are unable to say with cer- tainty how accurate those numbers are. Hoar added that state will pay bank fees related to the late payments — something Sandoval said SEIU got in a previous bargaining session. “If we can prove we incurred them, they will pay those,” Sandoval said. “And that’s wonderful and that’s something we’ve fought hard for… That doesn’t fi x the problem and what we need is to stop the late pay from happening. “Even if they get a fi x a month or six weeks down the road, that doesn’t help when they got evicted here, or when their car was repos- sessed here, or couldn’t pay for their kid’s school pic- ture’s here. The problem has got to be fi xed before it happens.” The union is now in the middle of a new bargain- ing session, where they are working to address the late payment issue. The two sides are actively negotiat- ing, which Sandoval said will go on for a couple more weeks. She declined to detail those talks, but said they’re still far apart. “We have gotten responses from them about improvements on the end after it’s happened, but noth- ing about stopping it from happening,” Sandoval said. Olga, another woman who declined to give her full name out of fear of los- ing her job, said she’s spo- radically been paid late for years. Last year it became a monthly occurrence, she said. As a Spanish speaker who doesn’t speak English well, she said it’s hard to advocate for herself. One time, she brought her son in to help her. A DHS employee told them a check was in the mail, but it never came. She was able to feed her fam- ily through the federal food assistance program, but had to borrow money for other expenses. Working and then not getting paid is extremely frustrating, she said. “It’s an injustice,” she said through a translator. The Oregon Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group, Pamplin Media Group and Salem Reporter. VOLUNTEER Call for Details: 1/2 off Rent PICK OF THE WEEK on your first month! SOME NEWLY REMODELED NEW APPLIANCES, NEW LIGHTS NEW CARPET/VINYL FLOOR NEW BATHROOM VANITIES & MIRRORS 2/3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS Uki 4 1 / 2 year old American Short Hair female All Rents Include: Electricity · Garbage · Water Calm your busy Summer with Uki who Suggests leisurely days And gentle pastimes. for more information call 503-325-8221 Monday - Friday 9-5 • NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 from Sacagawea and a U.S. Army unit of 31 men in the early 1800s. Knappton Cove, which served as a U.S. quarantine station during an intense period of immigration from 1899 to 1939, is on the route Lewis and Clark traveled to the Pacifi c Ocean in late 1805. Homecare workers protest over late pay Astoria, OR Established July 1, 1873 dition, including handling fl intlock fi rearms, camp cooking, starting fi res with fl int and steel, making cloth- ing and canoe paddles. The presentation focused on the Corps of Northwest- ern Discovery, which Lewis and Clark led from St. Louis to the mouth of the Colum- bia River and back with help EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Email: emeraldheights@charter.net or visit our website: emeraldheightsapartments.com Sponsored by Bayshore Animal Hospital CLATSOP COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER 1315 SE 19th St., Warrenton • 861- PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat
