Victoria
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« on: October 09, 2011, 11:29:58 AM » |
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Just a quick summary of what I heard at the safety meeting for those of you who are interested but unable to attend. Brian Walker: ODOT: There were a couple of commercials filmed and one movie this last month and while he was hesitant to shut down the Troutdale bridge for the one night of shooting, it all went well with no complaints. Next month they will be doing brush removal and drainage cleaning on the Old Scenic Hwy. Deputy Graziano: MCSO: He has two very dedicated volunteers who have put in 50 hours each at Multnomah Falls and there has been a drop in break-ins, and he'd like to give the credit to the patrol. If you have an emergency please call 911, don't go looking for him. Also, calling his cell in case of an emergency may not get you the fastest results, so please, call 911. Dave Houghton: Emergency Management: Mr. Hernandez was out last week at the Job Corp doing a Natural Hazards Mitigation meeting, thank-you to all who attended and those who helped put it on. Things are pretty quiet right now, and he is working together with Jerry from MC Roads department to get a web site together that will notify the public about road closures in our area. Jerry Griffin: MC Roads Department: They are mowing, going as far back as their mower can reach on Larch Mountain due to the ice and snow coming, which tends to weigh down the branches and trees, scraping vehicles and causing damage when they break. They are supposed to be grinding Corbett Hill and parts of Louden, but the machine broke down and is running a week behind coming from its current location. He needs two weeks of good weather to be able to do the jobs. While waiting for the grinder the crew is working on snow equipment as the snow level is expected to come down in the next couple of weeks. Most of the striping is done. Signs on the side of the road: OM means Owner Maintained. CM means County Maintained. The owner goes to the county and signs a contract with the county to maintain their section of road. If you do not maintain it, the county can file legal action against you to enforce it. If you bought a home, you may want to check the road to see if you have these signs on your property, since this agreement runs with the property. To remove yourself from the OM designation you need to go to the county and fill out the proper paperwork. No Spray signs do not actually meet the requirements, the crew works with them as much as possible. Sgt. Olson: Her crew has been doing Search and Rescue, with the hunters and mushroom pickers this gets to be a busy time. There is a Stand-Down being held at the The Chapel on October 15 for veterans who need assistance and help finding shelters. Personal hygiene supplies are being collected to hand out and if you want to donate you can contact The Chapel. Event organizers are seeking donations of the following items for veterans in need: toothbrushes and toothpaste, bars of soap, shampoo, deodorant, wet wipes, bandages, feminine hygiene products, shaving cream, disposable razors, floss, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, lotions, lip balm, dog and cat food, kitty litter, coffee packs, hot chocolate, apple cider, tea bags, matches and lighters. The Salvation Army, WorkSource Oregon Metro, the West Columbia Gorge Chamber of Commerce and other groups will package the donated products for veterans. You can drop off donations at The Chapel or at the following locations: • KPAM, 6605 S.E. Lake Road, Portland. • Gresham Ford, 1940 E. Powell Blvd. • Johnson RV, 41777 S.E. Highway 26. • West Columbia Gorge Chamber of Commerce, 226 W. Historic Columbia River Highway. For more information or to volunteer, call Jerry Criswell at 503-669-7112, ext. 264, or Kim Pettina, The Salvation Army, 503-794-3275. (Taken from the Outlook article) Jill Arens: Columbia River Gorge Commission: The budget for the Commission has been cut by 40% over the last three years and additional cuts will need to be taken this year, most likely staffing cuts. They may be down to four staff members which means what has to done will get done, but not as quickly as before. Items that should be done, like the ten year reviews, may not get done on time. She will be leaving the first part of 2012. Michelle Smith: Real estate agent: Gave a quick real estate update Phyllis Thieman: Gorge 25 is going on and there will be Fall Foliage tours from October 15-23. Columbia River Gallery has maps for those who would like some. Brickhaven will be hosting a meet and greet for Commissioner McKeel on November the 5th from 3-5. If you'd like to attend please contact Phyllis and she'll get you an official invitation. Glenn Littrel: Oregon Parks and Rec: They are down to four rangers for the winter and due to budget cuts and staffing needs, the Vista House is expected to be closed all of the winter, even weekends. The Lewis and Clark State Park bathrooms are being vandalized on an almost daily basis and they may need to shorten the bathroom hours to cut down on the vandalism. A discussion started at this point regarding the panhandlers and those living in the Thousand Acres area. The law enforcement attendees asked to remind everyone to NOT give money to the panhandlers. Fights break out between the panhandlers if someone tries to cut in during another's "shift" or take over a new spot. A couple weeks ago one of the fights they had to respond to was between two men, one getting out of his wheelchair to participate in the fight. To help, please consider the Stand Down. Ana Mosely: Corbett Alumni Association: The 100th anniversary of Corbett schools is coming up and the Association would like to find help putting together a great anniversary. They will be meeting at 4:30 on the 11th at the MPB room. Jerry West: community member: Why are there areas that the county isn't cutting the weeds? They cut up to, and then go around the patch, but there are no "No Spray" signs there. Jerry Griffin responded that there are some weeds that spread faster if they cut them, especially garlic mustard, so they skip those weeds to keep the spread down. If there are patches you are wondering about, please take down an address, or get him directions if there is no address, and he'll check it out and get back to you. Malcom and Kathy Fruend: They are now trained to use the radar guns and will be out doing Citizen Patrol in the local area. Also, remember the Fire Department Open house on the 15th from 12-4. There will be chili and Sparky the fire dog will be there. Jana Russell: Jana is helping NERT with the animal disaster protocol. People often refuse to go to shelters if they can't take their pets, so she is working with the local animal shelter to set up animal shelters next to human shelters in case of a natural disaster. You can register your pets and livestock for free with Multnomah County, and this is a big help to the local law enforcement if an animal gets loose. If a horse is running around loose, and the registration shows four horses at one barn but only three are in the pasture, it is faster and cheaper to contact the owner to see if it is their horse, rather than haul it to a shelter. Carnetta Boyd: NERT: Carnetta is our new NERT coordinator. The group is working to identify evacuation shelters, heating and cooling shelters and those who may be able to board animals in case of an emergency. Both local stores are on board to help in any way they can. Mike Oswald with the Troutdale animal shelter is working with NERT to stage a mock overnight drill, with animals, to see what bugs need to be worked out. Corbett is a perfect practice location due to size and rural setting. NERT would like to hold a bi-monthly meeting to teach/show some of the information given in the Citizen Police Academy training since if a natural disaster comes, depending on what it is, the area may need to go up to one month on its own. Just a reminder, when the town areas are told to keep a 72 hour kit, you really need one month for you and your pets. Something that came up in the Hazards meeting that I hadn't given any thought to, we are a tourist area, with thousands of people going through on any given day. In case of a disaster, those people will also need to be fed and sheltered. Also, if anything occurs during a school day, the students may be unable to get home, meaning the schools also need to have a natural disaster plan. Sgt. Ritchie: MCSO: The I-84 bridge is the largest enforcement work zone in the State. It is also the heaviest signed work zone. The Sheriff's are patrolling 5-10 hours per day and one of the Sheriffs gave out 37 tickets/warnings in one ten hour shift last weekend. The department will be starting truck inspections shortly, and there will be some stings set up as the trucks are not slowing down like they should.
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