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Friends and Neighbors,
 It is such sad news that my friend, my colleague, my mentor, Representative Mitch Greenlick, passed away at his home Friday night. I was so fortunate to be paired with Mitch as my mentor when I first arrived in the Capitol. We would have lunch in his office, talk about bills that I was working on and any issues I was having with them. He would give me advice, straight from the hip. I have such incredible respect for this moral compass, compassion for fellow humans and his deep knowledge of the work we do. He sat right in front of me on the floor and would tell me when my speeches were good and when they were too long. The love of his life, Harriet, always by his side...guiding, protecting and partnering with him in service. Their love was what you read about in storybooks. I was so blessed to witness it so closely. A beautiful, endearing love. ❤ Speaker Kotek said, "Representative Greenlick had been battling a number of health issues over the last year and was serving his last term in the Oregon House. He died while serving in office, doing what he loved. Oregonians lost a champion for fairness, justice, and health care as a human right. His work and legacy will benefit Oregonians for years to come." I will miss my friend very much and send so much love and comfort to Harriet and their family. Mitch was a good human. ❤
Washington County Updates
Contact Tracing
Oregon COVID-19 Testing and Contact Tracing Strategy
Interested in applying for a position as a contact tracer? The Oregon Health Authority has a contact tracing interest form on their website.
The CDC has published new guidance on contact tracing, a key strategy to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
 Washington County Board of Commissioners approves reopening plan and contact tracing recruitment contracts
Friday, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a reopening plan written by county staff with input from local emergency managers. The board also approved contracting with two outside agencies for recruitment of contact tracers and support staff.
“To be clear, today’s approval does not mean we are ready to apply to the Governor’s Office for Phase 1,” said Board Chair Kathryn Harrington. “Although Washington County is now one important step closer to reopening, we will continue to apply public health expertise and science to guide the next steps in our transition.”
Washington County’s comprehensive reopening plan details the seven criteria set by Governor Kate Brown for a county to be eligible for Phase 1. These are listed below, along with the county’s current status on each of them:
   
Health officials expect positive cases and hospitalizations to increase as people begin to move about more. Community members are urged to continue to practice physical distancing, wash their hands often and wear cloth face coverings.
“We know our community is anxious to start opening up,” said Health and Human Services Director Marni Kuyl. “But it’s important that we do this right. We don’t want to have to backtrack and close back down, so we are being cautious in our approach.”
Washington County is aiming to be approved by the Governor’s Office for Phase 1 reopening by early to mid-June.
Washington County’s reopening plan will be posted on their website at https://www.co.washington.or.us/HHS/CommunicableDiseases/COVID-19/reopening.cfm.
Small Business Updates
SBA and Treasury Release Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application
On Friday, the Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application and detailed instructions for the application.
The form and instructions inform borrowers how to apply for forgiveness of their PPP loans, consistent with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SBA will also soon issue regulations and guidance to further assist borrowers as they complete their applications, and to provide lenders with guidance on their responsibilities.
The form and instructions include several measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers, including:
- Options for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an “alternative payroll covered period” that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles
- Flexibility to include eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the eight-week period after receiving their PPP loan
- Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness
- Borrower-friendly implementation of statutory exemptions from loan forgiveness reduction based on rehiring by June 30
- Addition of a new exemption from the loan forgiveness reduction for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined
The PPP was created by the CARES Act to provide forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to keep American workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The documents released today will help small businesses seek forgiveness at the conclusion of the eight week covered period, which begins with the disbursement of their loans.
Click here to view the application and instructions.
Education Updates
2020 Virtual Proud to be HSD Festival
Hillsboro School District is hosting their annual "Proud to be HSD Festival" virtually this year. See below for the schedule of events.
HSD will be posting videos and galleries and live streaming events throughout the week. Students are invited to continue sending their submissions (webmaster@hsd.k12.or.us) and be part of the fun! All items (or links to them) can be found on their website at www.hsd.k12.or.us/festival. Many will be posted to their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages as well. See yesterday's delightful dance performance by Saanvi Shah here.
Current lineup (subject to change):
Monday
- Hot News Featured Event: Superintendent Mike Scott interviews Hilhi Sophomore Julia Alexander and she debuts her coronavirus quarantine song/video: “Upside Down.”
- Student art gallery opens
- Dance performance by Saanvi Shah, 1:30 p.m.
- Piano performance by Lucy Allen, 2 p.m.
Tuesday
- Voting begins for the High School Mascot Challenge with Barley from the Hillsboro Hops. Watch videos on @hillsborohops and vote for your favorite!
- Virtual Chess Tournament begins at 1:35 p.m.
- Robotics showcase by Kennedy Godfrey, 3 p.m.
- Performance by Anant Chebiam, 5 p.m.
Wednesday
- Music and dance performance by Jessica Wills and her sister, 1:30 p.m.
- Blacksmithing how-to video by Henry Huffstutter, 2 p.m.
- Gaming demonstration by Noey Sanchez, 3 p.m.
- Bond project updates, 3:30 p.m.
- Virtual Retirement Ceremony, 4 p.m. (this event will be live streamed)
Thursday
- Virtual Valedictorian and Salutatorian Lunch, 12 p.m. (this event will be live streamed)
- Entrepreneurial endeavor talk by Sophia Salter, 2 p.m.
- Entrepreneurial endeavor talk by Andrew Markowski, 3 p.m.
Friday
- View senior reflections
- Watch videos of all events that took place during the week!
- Start voting for the Championship Round of the Mascot Challenge!
 Mental Health Resources
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the COVID-19 crisis has put extra stress on the systems in place to create positive mental health outcomes for students. The teachers, staff and administrators in Oregon schools are mandatory reporters and continue to be diligent in that regard.
- The Hillsboro School District continues to make counselors available through each school’s building specific infrastructure or paired with a teacher’s Google classroom. In addition to individual appointments, school counselors are available virtually to families and students for an hour each day. Visit Hillsboro School District's Student Health and Wellness page for additional resources.
- The Banks School District the staff has regular contact with families and creates referrals to community resources based on those conversations. More than anything, food insecurity is the biggest issue they notice. As a result, the Banks School District has developed two additional pick up points for school meal distribution. Visit Banks School District's Health and Safety page for additional resources.
- The Beaverton School District has counselors that provide prerecorded Friday lessons. As needed, families and students can sign up for “office hours” appointments. For staff, the Beaverton School district has also created an online wellness newsletter called “Wednesday Wellness” Visit Beaverton School District's Student Services page for additional resources.
Special Education
FACT empowers Oregon families experiencing disability in their pursuit of a whole life by expanding awareness, growing community, and equipping families. Please see below a wealth of resources and information shared from their recent newsletter.
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"For this month's newsletter, we are highlighting resources for families we have available on our COVID-19 resource page.
We've designed a Special Education and Distance Learning toolkit to help guide you through what special education and Distance Learning might look like for your child. It includes a one-page handout on Distance Learning, insights on (and the importance of) keeping a Distance Learning log or journal, and a how-to for creating a parent input statement during this time. We hope you'll find this toolkit helpful as we continue to navigate this new landscape.
We are also sharing an update on the Office of Developmental Disabilities' Expanded Family Support Program. If you have a child receiving services through a County Developmental Disability Program (CDDP) or Children’s Intensive In Home Services (CIIS) that has experienced increased support needs as a result of COVID-19, school closures, and having to stay home, this information will be important to you.
Lastly, we're sharing a new blog post from a parent sharing about their experience with Distance Learning.
Remember, you are not alone! You can register for webinars as well as keep up with regular updates on our Facebook page!
Please also remember that our Family Support Specialists are available to answer questions, share information and resources, and to listen and brainstorm with you. Call (503) 786-6082 or email support@factoregon.org."
Student Perspective
Sam Vargas is a constituent in HD30 that has just completed his freshman year of college at Reed College in Portland.
A period of transition is easy for no one. As I progressed through my first year of college, I felt the changes, the hardships, the newfound difficulties that lie in phasing from one style of life to the next. Unfortunately for me, all these problems were exponentiated by the Virus. Progressing through a rigorous education became even more challenging. The solutions to problems became harder to find, and came fewer. The interactions that helped me get through days, also became fewer.
I know it is not easy. No one signed up for this. No one could have ever imagined or planned even a few months ago that we would now be where we are. It is pretty hard to even believe this is happening on some levels. There have been so many unanticipated changes in such a short period of time that have completely shifted our daily routines, upended our lives, and disrupted our sense of what is typical or “normal.” The amount of stress that this has caused is palpable and weighs heavy on all of us. As I finish out my first year of college, it is my hope we all hit these problems in stride, as much as we can.
Education Links
Community Outreach
Jewish Federation of Greater Portland & Oregon Jewish Community Foundation
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Emergency Fund Awards 14 Grants: In mid-March, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and Oregon Jewish Community Foundation created the COVID-19 Emergency Campaign with commitments of $250,000 and $100,000, respectively. Since then, 231 donors have contributed, bringing the crisis fund to $760,000 to provide assistance to individuals in need and capacity support for Jewish organizations impacted by COVID-19. Visit here to read stories about the first grants awarded from the crisis campaign.
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Volunteer Match Program: The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland has responded to the urgent need for support and developed a resource to match those in need with volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. People in need of help fill out a form about the type of assistance needed and then receive a call from Wendy Kahn, who is coordinating the program with fellow JFGP staff members Caron Blau Rothstein and Nadine Menashe. “We have a conversation about their needs,” said Kahn, who then matches them with a volunteer or refers them to Jewish Family and Child Service for financial or mental health needs. Tavia Berrigan manages the JFCS Emergency Aid program. To ask for assistance or to volunteer, visit jewishportland.org/jewish-portland-together. For questions, call 503-245-6219 or email volunteer@jewishportland.org.
Here is the printable version of the most recent issue of the Jewish Review, to stay up-to-date with our local Jewish Community and find ways you can be involved.
Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals
Like most museums, the Rice Museum of Hillsboro shut its doors in mid-March at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Now, two months later, the Rice looks to reopen to the public. But when it does, it will be a different world.
“We had no idea that we would be closed this long. I was at the Museum around our normal opening time soon after we closed our doors thinking to myself, ‘Two weeks. We can manage this,’” said Garret Romaine, director of the Rice Museum.
As a non-profit organization that relies on ticket sales, education program fees, gift shops sales, and donations to survive closure has had a significant impact on the operating budget. The Museum has lost nearly $175,000 in revenue, or 34% of the total budget.
There are no assurances that revenue will return to normal soon. The Museum has taken measures to mitigate the loss of income to put the organization in the best position to be able to re-open when it is safe to do so. Some of these measures have been heartbreaking and there are no guarantees it will be enough. The Museum is calling upon the community for support and has established a COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Read more about their efforts or make a donation here.
Additional Resources
District Links
Federal Delegation Links
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
- Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-11: places a temporary moratorium on residential evictions for nonpayment in light of the public health emergency caused by the spread of coronavirus in Oregon. The order is effective for 90 days.
- Governor Brown's Executive Order 20-13 strengthens Governor Brown's previous ban on residential evictions, and prohibits landlords from charging tenants late fees for nonpayment of rent during the moratorium.
- Community Action.org
- Oregon Food Bank
- Meals on Wheels
 As the crisis continues to keep us home more and restrict our movement, the frustrations and anxieties are building around us. People are worried about getting food on the table for their families, paying rent and other expenses. We are also a very social society and crave to be around other beings. As the weather gets nicer and counties slowly open the gates, some are wanting to resume to life as normal. This needs to be very clear, we are still in the midst of a pandemic, just because you cannot see it, it does not mean we are not in danger. The threat of this very contagious virus is still very real. As stores slowly open, we must still move around with great caution, wear a mask while in public and maintain physical distancing whenever possible. We can be successful in this, but it will take all of us. We must open carefully and be prepared for increased cases. We must protect our most vulnerable. We must also protect and care for each other. The crisis is not a time to work against each other, it is more important than ever that we work together.
Onward and Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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