DailyAstorian.com // TuEsdAY, sEpTEmbER 10, 2019
147TH YEAR, NO. 31
MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS
FINDING
PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS AFTER
A DISASTER
photos by Hailey Hoffman/The Astorian
To prepare for a disaster, everyone should have medications in their emergency kits, according to Columbia Memorial
Hospital pharmacist Nate Nerenberg.
Medical Reserve Corps
helps people prepare,
holds training session
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
C
ANNON BEACH — The
Medical Reserve Corps
held a learning session
on Saturday at City Hall
to teach people how to obtain pre-
scription drugs after a Cascadia
Subduction Zone earthquake and
tsunami, as well as techniques to
manage pain without medication.
The guest speakers were Nate
Nerenberg, a pharmacist and man-
ager of the pharmacy department
at Columbia Memorial Hospital in
Astoria, and Kathleen Bell, a reg-
istered nurse and teacher for the
American Holistic Nurses Asso-
ciation integrative healing arts
program.
Nerenberg taught people how to
incorporate medication into their
emergency kits, while Bell shared
methods to relieve and manage
pain and find increased levels of
comfort.
Nerenberg told people to include
a typed copy of their prescriptions,
supplements and medical equip-
ment and supplies. He said to
update the list every six months and
to include expiration dates and any
drug allergies. In a disaster, if no
computers are working, a pharma-
cist or doctor could use the lists to
get people their medication.
Leaders of the Medical Reserve
Corps have been training since
2015, but the learning session was
the first public training. They hope
to have an emergency prepared-
ness event for the community every
quarter.
See Corps, Page A6
The Medical Reserve Corps is
trying to educate the community
on emergency preparedness for
an earthquake or tsunami.
$1.50
Mitchell
calls foul
on recall
#TimberUnity behind
petition against Democrat
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
State Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell, the fresh-
man Democrat facing a recall campaign
by #TimberUnity over her support of a
cap-and-trade bill and other legislation,
called the effort inappropriate.
The rural advocacy group launched
the recall petition and formed the Recall
Tiffiny Mitchell PAC on Thursday.
Recalls are meant “to deal with the
most egregious sort of violations of eth-
ics, for people who have truly, truly done
something wrong,” the Astoria Demo-
crat said. “I’m not sure that’s necessarily
what’s happened here.
“I’m not necessarily sure that the
recall being used in this context is appro-
priate. But if that’s what people want to
do, that’s what they want to do.”
Darren Mead, owner of Action Sign
Works in Miles Crossing, started the
recall petition. His company has printed
many of the #TimberUnity stickers pop-
ping up around the region.
“I was approached by someone with
#TimberUnity after I had already been
thinking about it, because I don’t feel that
she is really representing the area and the
industries in the area,” Mead said.
Mitchell has taken heat from #Timbe-
rUnity and others over her vote for the
See Mitchell, Page A6
Port, union
staff tie pay to
the agency’s
performance
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
The Port of Astoria and its union staff
have agreed to tie their pay to the agen-
cy’s performance.
Thirteen employees at the Port, from
maintenance workers to the head of secu-
rity, are represented by the local chapter
of the International Longshore and Ware-
house Union. The two parties recently
agreed on a new contract through June
2022.
The workers, whose payroll of $1.2
million represents 15% of the Port’s oper-
ating expenses, have historically received
between 2% and 3% pay increases.
Under the new contract, wage
increases will be based on a three-year
rolling average of the Port’s operating
gains. Employees will receive no raises
for an increase of less than $99,000, 1%
for up to a $199,000 increase, 2% for
up to $299,000, 3% for up to $399,000,
4% for up to $499,000 and 5% for any
increase greater than $500,000.
See Port, Page A6
County welcomes new juvenile director from Madras
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Clatsop County welcomed a
new juvenile director this summer.
Kelly Braaten started in August,
replacing Greg Engebretson, who
retired after more than 30 years of
service.
Braaten said he is grateful to
be working with a great staff and
to have worked with Engebretson
during his first month.
“I know it can’t happen like that
always, but I’m definitely glad and
happy that it did ... it’s a little bit
more gradual,” he said.
“He’s been in this field and this
“It’s kind of a natural progres-
area for a long time and I think also sion once I realized I was going
for staff it will help with the transi- to be in this field for a while,”
tion as well. But I think it’s
Braaten said.
going to take some time to
“The Oregon Youth
get the lay of the land and
Authority supervises the
make all those necessary
highest risk population in
professional contacts and
the state. So for me, the
observe and see how things
next logical step in my
are going,” he said. “From
mind was to find some-
thing that would chal-
what I have observed so
far, I think things are going Kelly Braaten lenge me a little bit differ-
ently than the average daily
really well.”
Braaten moved from Madras casework and things like that.”
He is looking forward to taking
with his wife, Karyn, and their
three children. He spent over on more of a coaching or mentor-
11 years with the Oregon Youth ing role with the juvenile probation
Authority as a juvenile parole and and parole officers and working
probation officer. Prior to that, with them to find the best solutions
he spent five years as a juvenile for each child.
“We’re just really excited to
parole and probation officer with
Deschutes County.
have him on board with us,” said
Monica Steele, the interim county
manager. “We think he’s going
to continue to do great things for
the juvenile team and he’s filling
Greg Engebretson’s
shoes and we are
confident he will
be capable of doing
so.”
Braaten is look-
ing forward to
working collabo-
ratively with law
enforcement agencies and drug
and alcohol and mental health
counselors.
“A lot of the time there’s more
to the puzzle, sort to speak,”
Braaten said.
“So, it’s not just here’s a crime
that’s been committed and how do
we handle that incident. How do
we give them an opportunity to
repair the harm to the victim? How
do we give them an opportunity
to repay the community? Things
like that. But there’s
usually more to that
story. It could be a
need for a connec-
tion with local ser-
vice providers.”
Braaten said that
through assessment
and referral they
can help connect the dots for each
case.
“We’re all trying to figure out
what’s the best for the community,
the youth, the victim and how do
we ultimately prevent further pen-
etration into the adult system once
they graduate our system essen-
tially — that’s the hope,” he said.