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Greetings from House District 32!
While this summer’s weather has been beautiful along the
north Oregon coast, the hot dry weather throughout the Pacific Northwest has
resulted in the most devastating wild fires we have seen in decades. Earlier this month, fire crews responded to
a brush fire at Ft. Stevens State Park which resulted in a partial
evacuation. Fortunately, the fire was
brought under control after 27 acres were scorched. This has not been the situation for the
dozens of fires burning throughout Oregon and Washington, where fires now
become deadly, killing firefighters and destroying dozens of homes. Governor Kate Brown has now activated the
Oregon National Guard to help in fire-fighting efforts to help bring these
devastating fires under control. Oregon State Parks is now prohibiting fires in campgrounds and in other
properties owned and managed by the department. The ban includes but is not limited to
constructed steel fire pits, tiki torches, and even candles. The ban also extends to fires on ocean
beaches. The goal is to prevent any
accidental fires that would further tax limited fire fighting resources.
I was honored to be invited to attend the ceremony of Oregon
National Guard Major General Daniel Hokanson where he was promoted to the rank
of Lieutenant General. The ceremony was
presided over by General Frank Grass, Chief of the National Guard Bureau. Gen. Hokanson has been with the Oregon
National Guard for 20 years, and was appointed to the top job of adjutant general
in 2013. He will become the deputy
commander of the US Northern Command and a vice commander at NORAD. Hokanson will be based at Peterson Air Force
Base in Colorado.
General Grass presents General Hokanson with Medal during Promotion Ceremony
Last week Department of Environmental Quality Staff and
Environmental Quality Commissioners met for two days in Astoria to discuss
environmental problems and concerns in the area. The Astoria Marine Construction Company
situation is very concerning. Astoria
Marine began operation in 1923 and originally built fishing boats and ferries. The company began receiving military
contracts in 1941. By 1943, the boat
yard was building minesweepers and other vessels for the war effort. After WWII Astoria Marine specialized in
mothballing Navy ships and was the leading shipyard building minesweepers during the Korean
War. The DEQ and EPA are concerned
because contaminants have been discovered on the site, and the estimate to
clean the site is nearly $1 million. While
it no longer builds or repairs Navy ships, Astoria Marine continues to function
as a vital boat repair facility, performing a valuable function for charter
fishing boats along the north Oregon Coast.
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Environmental Quality Commissioners are briefed on Astoria Marine Construction Company
Next week, I will be attending the Oregon Coastal Caucus
Economic Summit. This year’s theme is
“The Pathway to Economic Development for Rural and Coastal Communities. I will be leading a panel discussing Ocean
Acidification and Hypoxia, and contributing to the Resilience panel that is
being facilitated by Astoria Mayor Arlene LaMear. As always, the topics will be extremely
timely and should be very informational.
This year the Economic Summit will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the
Spirit Mountain Casino .
Summer is coming to an end, but there is still time to enjoy
a trip to the beautiful Oregon Coast.
Here’s a recent picture at my favorite beach!
Cannon Beach at Sunset
While the legislature is not in
session, I spend my time enjoying the North Oregon Coast, and while we are not
at the Capitol daily, we still check our messages regularly, so if you do have
a concern or comment or need help regarding a state issue or agency, please
contact my office. It is my privilege to represent you in the Oregon House of
Representatives, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Deborah Boone
email: Rep.DeborahBoone@state.or.us I phone: 503-986-1432
address: 900 Court St NE, H-481, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boone
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