|
Dear Friends:
This has been an incredibly busy and challenging summer,
and difficult in many ways. Two of my
immediate family members have been undergoing cancer treatment, and I’ve been
leading the all-important family medical support network. During one six-week period, there were daily
trips to Portland for medical treatments.
This situation has been disappointing, as no one want’s their loved-ones
to suffer sickness and pain, but also enlightening, because medical issues
arise in all families. Among other
important lessons, this experience has highlighted the importance of Oregon’s
role in cancer research and treatment.
OSHU Knight Cancer Institute is now an international cancer
research and personalized cancer treatment center. Top physicians and researchers are coming to
Oregon to be a part of this tremendous life-saving effort. This summer I was able to participate in a
behind-the-scenes tour of the Knight Cancer Institute, and heard good news
about strides they are making in the treatment of leukemia, colon, breast,
prostate and other cancers. Since
beginning the Knight Cancer Challenge in 2013, more than $1 billion has been
raised for this cause. The Oregon
Legislature approved $200 million in bonding to build the OHSU cancer treatment
infrastructure as part of the Challenge.
Their first project is the Columbia Memorial Hospital Cancer Center in
Astoria, a cooperative effort between the Knight Cancer Institute and Columbia
Memorial, they now offer Chemotherapy, Imaging, Pharmacy and other services for
cancer patients, and will soon have radiation therapy as well.
I also toured the North Coast Life Flight Air Station at
the Astoria Airport, which covers the coastal area from Tillamook to South
Bend, Washington transporting trauma victims to medical care. The helicopter based in Astoria is
instrument-rated, so it can fly in low visibilities conditions. These types of medical facilities are vital
to livability in the north coast region.
Traffic on our roads and highways has been especially bad
this summer, the weather was so beautiful that more visitors than ever flocked
to the coast, jamming the roadways. One
of the priorities of the coming legislative session will a comprehensive
transportation package. While we can’t
constrict the number of cars on the road, we can work on improving road
conditions and traffic flow patterns where needed.
The past few months have been packed with community
celebrations, like county fairs and parades, and I’ve enjoyed participating in
events ranging from the June Dairy Parade and County Fair in Tillamook to the
50 year anniversary of the Astoria Megler Bridge and Astoria Regatta, with so
many wonderful events in between. It is
always nice to catch up with friends and neighbors and meet new people in our
rural areas.
 Garibaldi Days Celebration
As Vice Chair of the House Veterans and Emergency
Preparation Committee, I was delighted to attend the annual Tillamook and
Clatsop County’s Veteran’s Stand Down at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds. More veterans than ever attended this event
to sign up for services ranging from educational opportunities to help finding
local employment. I feel we owe a debt
of gratitude to our veterans and hope that all Oregonians will vote “YES” in
November on Ballot Measure 96 which would dedicate 1.5% of Oregon Lottery
proceeds to provide services to Oregon’s veterans.
In August the 5th annual Coast Caucus Economic
Summit was held in North Bend. This
two-day conference included local, state and federal elected leaders, and was
incredibly informative. A series of
panels addressed strategies for improving the economics in rural coastal areas.
It was nice to hear from experts that in many ways, we are on the right track,
and that Oregon is setting a standard of excellence. However, transportation dominated much of the
discussion and its importance in protecting tourism, emergency preparedness and
efficiently moving people through our communities. I’ve also been able to attend meetings of the
Sunset Empire Transit District, and the Northwest Area Commission on
Transportation this summer. Senator
Betsy Johnson is serving on the bi-partisan 14-member legislative committee
working on a transportation package, and says there will be a series of
meetings around the state to gather more information about transportation
issues.
 Sen Roblan and Rep Boone at Coastal Caucus Economic Summit
| 
