North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce

Leadership Clackamas County will participate in Economic Development Day on February 8^th. Why is that important?

The February 13th Public Policy Meeting will host candidates for County Commissioner positions 3 & 4.  All are welcome.  Why is that important?

Oregon State Day at the Capital is Friday, February 24^th. You are invited. Why is that important?

The Chamber is all about strengthening our economy through stronger businesses and partnerships that lead to stabilizing and growing companies, creating jobs, connecting solutions to your business challenges. Today it might be your immediate need to get customers to cross your threshold, or balancing employee matters in conjunction with all the other daily tasks you face.  Your time is stretched beyond imagination.  We get that.

Yet your business also requires a strong community foundation with appropriate regulations, manageable processes, access to capital and more.  When managing the day to day tasks is all you have time for the Chamber has your back.  Your Chamber is engaging in conversations, bringing leaders together to help sort through those issues and questions that have an affect your business’ ability to succeed in the North Clackamas County area.  It is important for us to advocate at the local and state level to serve you when your time does not allow.  If you can join us, we welcome you.  When you have time we want you here. But if you are unable, be reassured we are advocating for your business success.

Feel free to call me to learn more about what the Chamber is doing to serve you. I welcome your questions and feedback.

You are invited to help plan the future of transportation in unincorporated Clackamas County by attending a public workshop this week. The workshops are a key part of the County’s Transportation System Plan (TSP) update process.

Each workshop will include the same general content, with a focus on the needs and issues of that region of the County.  People are encouraged to attend the workshop in their region.

• East – Wednesday, Feb. 1, 6-8 pm; Eagle Creek Elementary School, 30391 SE Highway 211, Eagle Creek
• South – Thursday, Feb. 2, 6-8 pm; Molalla River Middle School, 318 Leroy St., Molalla

At the workshop you will have the chance to learn more about the two-year TSP update process, comment on proposed goals and objectives, and express your views on current system problems and help identify possible solutions.

If you would like to participate but can’t attend a workshop, an online workshop is available at www.clackamascountytsp.com through February 5.

Through the TSP update, the County is reviewing plans and policies for various forms of transportation – roads, transit, walking, bicycling, rail, air, freight, waterways and pipelines – in unincorporated Clackamas County. When complete in 2013, the TSP will specify priority transportation projects for the next 20 years and address how those projects, and maintenance of the current system, can be funded.

A Public Advisory Committee (PAC) of residents from throughout Clackamas County and a Technical Advisory Committee are integral parts of the review process.  The next PAC meeting, which the public is welcome to attend, will be held from 6-9 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7, in Room 115 of the County’s Development Services Building, 150 Beavercreek Rd., Oregon City.

More information about the project, information on upcoming meetings and opportunities for input are available on the project website at www.clackamascountytsp.com.

Wichita Center invites community to open house

After serving as a school for 100 years, the Wichita Center for Family & Community has taken on a new role as a hub for social services. The newly updated facility, run by North Clackamas Schools, will welcome the community to tour the building on February 3, from 4 to 8 p.m.  All are welcome.

“With so many families facing economic hardship now, the evolution of Wichita into a social services center was very timely,” said Community Relations Director Joe Krumm.  “We are blessed that so many volunteers and partners have stepped up to help us with these programs.”

The school district’s Family Support Center is housed at Wichita, providing families in need and the district’s homeless students and families in need with free clothing, emergency food boxes, hygiene items, and school supplies, as well as an after-school computer lab.

District programs at the site also include the Lunch Buddies mentor program, and Dental Health Solutions, as well as the Community Services office, which oversees child care, facility use, and registration for driver’s education.

Community partners sharing the space include the Ready Set Go and Head Start preschool programs, WIC, the North Clackamas Education Foundation, and more.

The recent State of the Cities luncheon at the lovely Aerie at Eagle Landing gave members a chance to see why the Chamber needs to be more involved as the voice for business with region’s cities.  As the economy wakes from its doldrums, the region’s cities are where we see the first stirrings of business development.  Happy Valley is seeing new businesses move into town.

The region’s cities are in the midst of making decisions that have the potential to help businesses across the Chamber’s membership.  Damascus continues to work on the comprehensive plan that will set the ground rules for development.  With its new library, Gladstone is planning the kind of community asset that attracts the kind of workers businesses want.  Through plans for a multi-use stadium and Milwaukie is working to create a destination that will attract customers to area businesses.  There are times when the Chamber may need to ask cities not to go down paths that are unhelpful to businesses, but when cities are taking steps that help business, we need to be there to help them.  As an organization, we will help; where the opportunity arises, members should pitch in, too.

A $1000 scholarship could make the difference whether a high school senior attends college. The Chamber’s separate 501(c)(3) non-profit, the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation aims to develop our future leaders by hosting a fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen on February 28 & 29 from Noon – 9 PM.  All dine-in and carry out food or beverages will earn the Foundation 20% of proceeds that will fund a scholarship.  One senior who has graduated from the Clackamas County Young Leader’s Project will be eligible to apply for the scholarship this spring.

Initiated by the 2004 graduates of the Chamber’s Leadership Clackamas County program, it is our goal to sustain this program.  Over the years, $7,000 in scholarships have been awarded.  Won’t you help us grant another graduate the honor?  Invite your friends, family and coworkers.  Either day-  lunch, dinner, or happy hour…Download the fundraiser flier that is required for the Foundation to benefit and you are good to go.  Can’t wait to see you then! For more information, contact yourchamber.com or call 503-654-7777.

Eugene Sadiki during clinical rotation

Eugene Famba Sadiki’s journey as a nurse began before he finished high school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He survived being shot in wartime and separation from his wife, who believed he was dead. Half a world away from the Congo, Sadiki is continuing his path in nursing in the United States through the Workforce Improvement with Immigrant Nurses (WIIN) program at Clackamas Community College (CCC).

The WIIN program at CCC prepares experienced foreign-educated nurses living in the U.S. to enter the nursing workforce here and eases their transition into practice. Since the program began in 2003, 74 nurses from 30 countries have completed the program and are now working in hospitals, long-term care, the American Red Cross, corrections, health clinics and dialysis centers. These multicultural nurses understand the needs and customs of an increasingly diverse immigrant population.

A general information session on the WIIN cohort beginning this fall will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, at CCC’s Harmony campus, 7738 SE Harmony Road, Milwaukie.

Each nurse in the program has a unique story of their training, immigration to the U.S., struggle to find meaningful work, and return to their career of choice through the WIIN program. Eugene Sadiki arrived in the U.S. in 2009 after working as a nurse in his home country for more than 25 years, in settings that varied from rural hospitals to natural medicine to education.

In the war-torn Congo, he was living away from his wife while finishing his bachelor’s degree in nursing and health administration. His education was interrupted when he was shot by warring factions.

Sadiki’s wife, Bahati Collette, believed he had died, and she subsequently moved to the U.S. Through a cousin, Sadiki learned Collette was living in America and obtained her email address. In February 2002, Sadiki spoke to his wife on the phone, hearing her voice for the first time in four years.

For the next seven years, Sadiki struggled to emigrate to the U.S. to join his wife. His efforts took him to Kenya where he continued to work as a nurse while going through the long process of emigrating. After his fourth attempt, he was successful, and Sadiki joined Collette in Oregon in 2009.

Sadiki was hopeful that he could work as a nurse in Oregon and met with the Oregon Board of Nursing, which introduced him to the WIIN program at CCC. He began taking courses to improve his English skills before he was accepted into WIIN.

“It’s been a long road, but the WIIN program has helped me very much — I have gained so much professionalism as a nurse,” he said. Sadiki graduated from the WIIN program in December and is now completing his clinical program and preparing to take the nursing exam. He would like to eventually work in health administration, working with the elderly.

Judy Andersen, director of the WIIN program, says Sadiki has been an inspiration to both students and staff in the program. “Eugene’s compassion and generosity is evident to all with whom he comes in contact,” she said. “He has volunteered as a mentor to classmates who needed help with understanding math problems and encouraged others who were undergoing personal challenges. Eugene’s warm smile and caring heart are his trademarks.”

For more information about the WIIN program, please contact Cathy Boucher at 503-594-6012 or cathyb@clackamas.edu.

We live, work and play in a vast county with vast challenges for county government leadership.

The chamber believes that its 500 members should weigh in on who should next lead the county as Chair of the Board of County Commissioners. The race pits four interesting and politically-diverse candidates: State Rep. Dave Hunt, current commission Chair Charlotte Lehan, Commissioner Paul Savas and John Ludlow, a Realtor and former mayor of Wilsonville.

Although not a formal endorsement at this time, but a statement of chamber position, the Board of Directors of the chamber believes that the electorate should advance Hunt and Savas to the general election in November. They both understand the dysfunction of the county government, the mistrust by the electorate, and each has suggestions to address both. While both Hunt and Savas are strong candidates from the chamber’s perspective, they both also present areas of concern. Both deserve and warrant the further scrutiny that a general election would bring. Our message to both is that we will be attentive to see what each presents as we move forward.

Hunt has had a long-standing relationship with the chamber. He understands the chamber and supports its role. He has shown avid support for transportation infrastructure development in alliance with the chamber’s position.  However, he acknowledged that he was out of step with the business community in his support of Measures 66 and 67. We want to see from here whether he has learned his lessons from that experience, as he suggests.

Savas presents a moderate, pro-business positioning with the chamber. He has “come a long way” in developing as an effective leader in his short time in elected office. However, we want to see if he can take actions that demonstrate that government can play a role in support of business. Just saying “No” is not an effective philosophy.

We believe the other candidates should not be advanced to the general election As chair, Lehan has handicapped our county’s relationships in the region and seems unaware of business concerns and voter mistrust.

The chamber feels that Ludlow’s run for office is strictly as a spoiler candidate. He does not demonstrate a willingness to play the leadership role the position demands.

For this race, we believe the electorate will be best served by Hunt and Savas surviving the May election and facing the longer, more thorough look that will come with the fall election.

In the other commission races, former Commissioner Martha Schrader has earned our endorsement in the past, as she works to fill Position 3. We will wait to see if more people join the race before we determine whether an endorsement is warranted for the May election.

Four people are vying for Position 4. They are current Commissioner Jamie Damon, former state Rep. Tootie Smith, political aide John Swanson, and former Oregon City Commissioner Dan Holladay. At this point, the chamber is waiting to see if the candidates can separate themselves and demonstrate a clear choice between them before offering an opinion.

Chambers of Commerce throughout Oregon have an opportunity to make a strong showing and speak on behalf of business at the 2012 Chamber Day at the Capitol, sponsored by the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce. This will be a day for board members, committee chairs and community leaders to advocate for strong local economies throughout the state.

The Friday, February 24 event is designed with both interactive discussions and informative presentations. Topics include an Issues Panel, providing an update on the latest information regarding key state issues; Inside the Legislative Process, what you need to know; Prosperity Project, the nationally recognized tool to education and mobilize and Election Cycle Overview: Best Practices for Building You Public Policy Efforts.

For North Clackamas County Chamber members, Your Chamber is providing a special registration of $25 each person, which includes the sessions and lunch. The Chamber will also arrange for vans or carpools for the day. Registration is available on line or by calling the chamber offices (www.yourchamber.com; 503-654-7777). The Salem sessions begin at 10 am, and the vans will leave the Clackamas Chamber at 8:45 am. Return will be around 4 pm with the sessions adjourning at 3 pm.

If you prefer to register though the Oregon State Chamber, the cost is $40 per person. Please mention you are part of our chamber. Registration through OSCC is available at www.oregonstatechamber.org.  The event will be held at the Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry, 626 High St NE, Salem, OR.

Sandy Fire District announced award recipients during their annual banquet Saturday, January 7th.  A combination career/volunteer fire department, Sandy Fire mirrors the national fire department averages of 80% volunteer and 20% career fire personnel.  This team is notably successful because of the exemplary character, work ethic and commitment to service that the individuals working together demonstrate.  Volunteer and Career staff combined provided an incredible 36,449.61 hours of service to the community in 2011!

In a team, there are always individuals who stand out as examples of what the organization is most proud of, below are those who have gone over and above in demonstrating their ability to work under extreme pressure, and their desire to learn and to teach.  It is individuals such as these that challenge us to meet them at the top.

.  Probationary Firefighter of the Year – FF Doug Dietrich .  Firefighter of the Year – FF Glenn Yeager .  Officer of the Year – Capt Martin Grassl – for the 6th Year in a row, 8 total!!

Volunteer FF Doug Dietrich (Probationary Firefighter of the Year) responded to 290 alarms and served as a crew member 76 times, staffing the station both days and evenings. FF Dietrich spent countless hours at the station, assisted with public education events and the sign post program, and consistently impressed everyone with his helpful, friendly attitude.

Volunteer FF Glenn Yeager  (Firefighter of the Year) responded to a whopping 691 alarms!  FF Yeager staffed the station on days, evenings, weekends.  Cumulatively he worked an incredible 125 shifts.  Tireless, FF Yeager also completed 262 hours of training, participated in numerous community events and not only served on Volunteer Association committees, but chaired one as well.  While these numbers and activities seem impressive individually; when you look at his service as a whole, his achievements are even more impressive.  FF Yeager spent an amazing total of 1,230 hours providing service to the district and our community in 2011.  Thank you FF Yeager.

Volunteer Capt.  Martin Grassl  (Officer of the Year) responded to 294 alarms and standbys, staffed 59 Duty Officer shifts and attended 322 training hours.  He is often chosen as a mentor by new members who seek him out for his incredible professionalism.  Not only does Capt Grassl make himself available to train firefighters, he does so with a constantly smiling face and a contagious positive attitude. Capt. Grassl assisted in several volunteer committees.  Capt Grassl is a huge asset to the team and a great leaders within the volunteer organization, which may account for being the recipient of this award an unprecedented 6 times in a row!!

Employee of the Year:  Administrative Assistant, Nannette Wilson Nannette joined Sandy Fire in 1996 as a Fire Explorer and went on to become the Administrative Assistant in 1999.  Nannette was recognized this year because of her positive, can-do attitude and her extensive work in the community.  She demonstrates the values of Sandy Fire District through her commitment to public service.  She volunteered to coordinate a Relay for Life Team and logistics for the event, was crowned as a Sandy Mountain Festival Princess, oversaw the applications and the logistics of the Kiwanis Christmas Basket Program and runs the Car Seat Safety Installation Program for Sandy Fire District.  Nannette accomplished all of this with a smile on her face and a seamlessly endless supply of energy and enthusiasm.

P.R.I.D.E. Awards (Professionalism, Responsibility, Integrity, Dedication, Education) These awards represent the core values of our fire district.  Recipients are chosen based on their attitude and actions that demonstrate the elements of what our fire district believes characterizes a true public servant and professional team member.  Their service over and above emergency response, communicates to the public and their co-workers, the depth of their commitment.  Their contributions inspire and instill others with confidence that individuals can and do make a difference.  Their focus on the greater good serves as an example of what we all aspire to.

2011 Recipients
Firefighter and Volunteer Association President, Laurie Smallwood Firefighter Dave Evans Firefighter Chris Sparks Deputy Chief Phil Schneider Firefighter Rayner Yoshioka Bookkeeper Ann Rogers

Board Award:
Gerald New, News Towing
Gerald owns News Towing, a company based in our community since 1978 and has been an AAA provider for 29 years.  Gerald has provided Sandy Fire with wrecked vehicles to be used in extrication training for 30 years.  Donating the cost of towing the vehicles to and from the station has been a tremendous benefit to the department.  Gerald and his drivers are subjected to the same horrific sights, smells and sounds that our professional rescuers encounter and he and his crew handle each and every crash with professionalism and confidentiality.  Gerald has become a true friend of Sandy Fire and is considered a partner.  Recently Gerald invented a fluid recovery system to ensure that no oil and antifreeze pollutes the environment, demonstrating his commitment not only to the fire district but to the greater community as well.

Years of Service Recognition:
-    25 years of service: Photographer Steve Wolf and Board Member Joe Barnett
-    20 years of service: Firefighter Brook Karstetter
-    15 years of service: Firefighter Andy Crofts
-    10 years of service:  Firefighter Eric Gatchell
-    5 years of service:  Firefighters Dale Clarke, Rayner Yoshioka, Matt Christie, TJ Zander and Bookkeeper Ann Rogers

Sandy Fire District took this opportunity to swear in our newest firefighters.
Doug Dietrich, Jon Dikeman, Rick Guilbault, James Thomas, Brandon Tidd, and Jason Vanderpool.  These volunteer firefighters have completed a year of training

Sandy Fire Volunteer Association Officers for 2012 Dale Clarke, President Laurie Smallwood, 2nd Vice President Jeremy Parker, 1st Vice President Dave Evans, Secretary Robert Oun, Treasurer Duston Yacapin, Sergeant of Arms

Contact Info: For additional information or to schedule a photo opportunity or interview with any of the Fire Service Members listed above contact:  Alice Busch at 971-563-3051 cell, or 503-237-4152 pager.

In November 2011, federal bank regulators ordered certain mortgage servicers to identify consumers whose homes faced foreclosure between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. These consumers should have received a letter by the end of 2011 indicating that they may request an independent review of their foreclosure. If the review finds that the homeowner suffered financial injury caused by deficiencies in the foreclosure process, they may be eligible for compensation. There is no cost associated with the federal government’s Independent Foreclosure Review program.

Unfortunately, scam artists are also contacting Oregon consumers and offering to conduct an “Independent Foreclosure Home Loan Review” or a “securitization review” for a fee. Attorney General John Kroger warns Oregonians to steer clear of independent foreclosure review scams.

·         Beware of anyone who wants payment to assist you with an independent foreclosure review or any other homeowner assistance or foreclosure prevention program

·         If you receive a letter suggesting that you qualify for compensation or received a grant without having requested an independent review from the federal government, it is a scam

·         A government agency will never request your contact information, Social Security Number, banking information, or credit card numbers in an email

·         Steer clear of anyone who claims they can guarantee a permanent mortgage modification or halt the foreclosure process

More information can be found at http://www.independentforeclosurereview.com/. If you received a notification about an independent foreclosure review and are unsure of its authenticity, contact the Federal Reserve Board at 888-952-9105 or learn more at What You Need to Know: Independent Foreclosure Review. If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure, there are many free HUD-approved housing counselors around Oregon. Visit http://foreclosurehelp.oregon.gov/ for more information.