Community
January 2, 2017
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11
Lori Stegmann to become Multnomah
County’s first Asian-American commissioner
Multnomah County will swear in
its first Asian-American commis-
sioner, Lori Stegmann, on Tuesday,
January 3. Stegmann will represent
District 4 — which covers parts of
east Portland, Gresham, Troutdale,
and unincorporated east Multnomah
County — in the five-member,
all-women county board. Stegmann
will replace outgoing commissioner
Diane McKeel.
“I’ll be the first Asian-American
commissioner,” said Stegmann, in a
question-and-answer interview with
The Oregonian on October 25, 2016.
“That’s long, long, long overdue, but
what’s more exciting is that we’ll
have a majority-minority commis-
sion, and that is historical. It is very
rare that you’ll find the makeup of a
commission that really reflects the
community they represent.”
Adopted as an infant from Korea,
Stegmann grew up in west Gresham’s
Rockwood neighborhood. She put
herself through college, graduating
from Mt. Hood Community College
with an associate degree and later
earned a bachelor’s degree in
business from Portland State Univer-
sity.
She has been a small business
owner and insurance agent for more
than 20 years, specializing in com-
mercial insurance. She chose to live
and locate her Farmers Insurance
agency in the same neighborhood
where she grew up.
Stegmann’s interest in public
service stems from a desire to help
MULTNOMAH COUNTY FIRST.
Multnomah County will swear in its first
Asian-American commissioner, Lori Stegmann,
on Tuesday, January 3. Stegmann will repre-
sent District 4 — which covers parts of east
Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, and unincorpo-
rated east Multnomah County — in the
five-member, all-women county board.
(Photo courtesy of Lori Stegmann)
make sure everyone has the same
opportunities in life that she has had,
such as a family, quality public
education, affordable housing, and a
shot at a good-paying job.
Lori was elected to the Gresham
City Council in 2010, where she
served for six years, including as
president in 2014. Her duties as
councillor
involved
committee
assignments on the Public Safety
Committee, Gresham Area Chamber
of Commerce, Gresham Sister City
Association, Youth Advisory Com-
mittee, and the Council Employee
Performance Subcommittee.
Her previous public service in-
cluded participating in the Gresham
Planning Commission, Rockwood
Stakeholders Group, and the
Rockwood Light Rail Station Art
Committee, as well as serving as vice
chair of the Gresham Redevelopment
Commission Advisory Committee
and as a board member of the
Gresham Area Chamber of Com-
merce.
In addition, Stegmann co-founded
the Rockwood Business Coalition and
has served as its vice-chair. She has
also chaired a number of Plaza del Sol
Community events in Rockwood and
her extensive community-service in-
volvement includes positions with So-
roptimist International of Gresham,
as both District 2 secretary and
president. Her volunteer activities
earned her a Golden Note Award.
Lori currently is a member of
Metro’s Powell Division Steering
Committee and the Multnomah
County Citizen Budget Advisory
Committee, and she also serves on
the board of the Oregon League of
Minority Voters (OLMV).
Stegmann will be sworn in for her
four-year term on Tuesday, January
3 at 10:00am in the boardroom of the
Multnomah Building, located at 501
S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard in Port-
land. On Wednesday, January 4 at
5:30pm, commissioner Stegmann will
perform her in-district swearing in at
the Gresham Library, located at 385
N.W. Miller Avenue in Gresham,
Oregon. To learn more, visit <www.
multco.us/board>.
Releasing sky lanterns now illegal in Oregon
Sky lanterns, also known as aerial
luminaries, Chinese lanterns, mini hot-air
balloons, UFO balloons, wish lanterns,
etc., are illegal to release into Oregon
airspace effective January 1, 2017. A sky
lantern is a paper sack suspended over a
flame, usually from a small candle or other
lit device. The hot air from the flame
causes the balloon to rise into the air and
be carried off by the wind.
Sky lanterns are becoming more
prevalent due to links on social media
providing details on how to make lanterns
at home, while local stores sometimes sell
them as well.
The new policy is a result of a change in
the definition of fireworks as outlined in
the Oregon Fire Code. The luminaries are
no longer defined as fireworks and there-
fore a limited display permit is not availa-
ble for them.
“Although they are pretty, sky lanterns
are uncontrolled, open-flamed devices that
pose an extreme fire hazard to people,
property, and the environment,” said
Mariana Ruiz-Temple, chief deputy state
fire marshal in Oregon. “Once released,
you have no control over where they may
land. They could end up on someone’s
rooftop, in a tree, or a pile of debris and
cause an unwanted fire.”
The glowing, floating lanterns can also
generate calls to 911, which can distract
first responders from true emergencies.
A number of other states, as well as
countries such as Germany, Australia, and
Brazil, have outlawed their use. Releasing
a sky lantern into Oregon airspace after
January 1 is a Class A violation subject
to a maximum penalty of $2,000.
To learn more, call the Oregon Office of
the State Fire Marshal at (503) 373-1540.
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The Portland City Auditor’s Independent Police
Review (IPR) is responsible for the civilian
oversight of the Portland Police Bureau (Police
Bureau). The Citizen Review Committee (CRC)
is an advisory body to IPR and the Police Bureau.
CRC holds appeal hearings of police
misconduct investigations; listens to
community concerns; periodically serves
on the Police Review Board, an advisory body to
the Chief of Police that makes recommendations
as to findings and discipline of sworn police
members; reviews Police Bureau policies; and
advises IPR on complaint handling processes.
CRC members are appointed by Portland City Council
to serve three-year terms. Candidates must be
Portland, Oregon, residents or business owners, and be
impartial and objective in regards to law enforcement.
Applications are available at
www.portlandoregon.gov/ipr
or the IPR office: City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Avenue,
Room 140, Portland, OR 97204.
Return applications by 5:00pm, Wednesday,
February 8, 2017, via fax (503) 823-4571,
e-mail crc@portlandoregon.gov,
mail, or hand-delivery to IPR.
Mark your calendar!
The Year of the Rooster
begins January 28, 2017.
The Asian Reporter’s Lunar New Year special
issue in honor of the Year of the Rooster will be
available online on Monday, January 16, 2017.