New Clackamas County commissioners dive right into business
Tootie Smith, Mark Shull take seats to tackle reopening plans and wildfire recovery
One new and one familiar face joined the Clackamas Board of County Commissioners in its first meeting of 2021 on Tuesday, Jan. 5, to hear updates on several topics and issues facing the county.
County Chair Tootie Smith and Commissioner Mark Shull both elected to the board in 2020 took their official oaths of office in private ceremonies over the holidays and will participate in a ceremonial swearing on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
Smith, a political veteran who has served as both a state legislator and Clackamas County commissioner, seemed not to miss a beat in her four-year absence from public service as she dove head first into county business while leading the meeting. Shull chimed in on occasion to offer his view or asking questions to clarify details.
An historical look at a famous ranch January 02 2021
With its registered Holstein cattle, the McCall Ranch became a foundation for the Central Oregon dairy industry
Henry McCall and his young wife, the former Dorothy Lawson, of Boston, Massachusetts, were among the affluent Easterners that came to Central Oregon shortly after the turn of the 20th Century. Henry or Hal, as he was commonly known, was a Harvard graduate and a prominent baseball player during his college days.
He was born on Aug. 29, 1886. His father was the governor of Massachusetts, and Dorothy s father was Thomas Lawson, known as the Copper King. Dorothy was born on Oct. 11, 1888. Thomas Lawson encouraged his young son-in-law to move to Central Oregon and gave land to the couple on Lower Crooked River near present-day O Neil that he had purchased. Hal and Dorothy cleared the land for farming and moved into their new home that was recently completed in 1912. Their ranch was known as Western Wold.
Wheeler calls out antifa and anarchists in NYE riot January 01 2021
The Portland mayor wants a meeting of law enforcement agencies to coordinate enforcement against ongoing vandalism.
Mayor Ted Wheeler minced no words in his opening remarks at a New Year s Day news conference following a riot on New Year s Eve in downtown Portland.
Wheeler laid out the who, what, when, where and why of what happened Thursday, Dec. 31, when the Multnomah County Justice Center, U.S. Courthouse and numerous businesses came under attack. The who: violent antifa and anarchists, Wheeler said, explaining they rampaged through downtown Portland causing tens of thousands of dollars of damage with commercial fireworks aimed at buildings, broken windows, fires in the street and graffiti.
New push to draw tourism to clean, safe Willamette River December 30 2020
Local groups working on ways to highlight the river as a travel destination with Willamette Valley Visitors Association.
While she saw more water-goers flock to the Willamette River this summer than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Heather King, the deputy director for the Willamette Riverkeeper nonprofit organization, said the waterway can sometimes be an afterthought compared to other destinations the Mackenzie or John Day rivers. It is a beautiful river. It s a river you can take overnight trips on and never see another boat on the river depending on the trip, King said. People just don t think about it as a place to go.