Inside Washington County with Rob Solomon

This week Rob continues the virtual debate series with candidates in May 19 Primary Election in Washington County. In the second of four debates, we feature the race between incumbent Pat Garrett and challenger Red Wortham, the two candidates for Washington County Sheriff.

This week Rob begins the first of four virtual debates with candidates in Washington County Primary Election on May 19 . First up, we feature the race between incumbent Roy Rogers and challenger Ben Marcotte, the two candidates for Washington County Commissioner District 3.

This week Rob discusses the new Westside QRC Project

Our guests this week are Shannon Walton-Clark, Board Chair of the Westside QRC and Beach Pace, Board Member and Washington County activist. Rob discusses plans to bring a version of Portland's Q Center to Washington County.

"We know what it feels like. We know how horrible it feels, and we'd love for that 15-year-old I mentioned, who can't get all the way into Portland, to walk into the Westside Queer Resource Center and understand that they are welcomed and understood, and that there's going to be somebody there, either at an affinity group meeting or even behind the desk, who has walked a path similar to theirs." ~ Beach Pace

This week Rob discusses philanthropy in Washington County with Max Williams and Todd Baker.

Todd Baker, President of Baker Rock Resources

Baker Rock Resources has been in Oregon for over 60 years and emphasizes giving back to and reinvesting in local communities in its business model. Each year, Baker Rock Resources hosts and supports numerous walks, fundraisers, community auctions, drives, and community events. Baker Rock Resources also assists countless local and regional organizations that help those who need a hand up, particularly veterans.

Max Williams, CEO, Oregon Community Foundation

The Oregon Community Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and businesses with directing charitable contributions and creating charitable funds. OCF is Oregon’s largest public charity. Formerly a lawyer, legislator, leader of the Oregon Department of Corrections, Max assumed his role as OCF president and CEO in 2012. He has helped individuals, families and businesses transform their philanthropy into sustained, community-driven impact, doubling the Foundation’s endowment in seven years.

Our COVID-19 Practices

When you look at the photo from this week's interview, it may appear that our production staff at Inside Washington County is ignoring social distancing recommendations from the Oregon Health Authority.

Appearances can be deceiving. That's why we want you to know that this interview was recorded on February 5, 2020, before COVID-19 warnings surfaced. We put concern over health risks to our guests and staff well ahead of our goal to bring you weekly interviews.

Our commitment to social distancing changed the way we conducted the last four interviews in our broadcast season. As much as we enjoy meeting our guests face-to-face, we requested virtual interviews instead. While the virtual model put an extra load on our guests and staff, we were pleased to receive a 100-percent agreement!

While 71 percent of Americans believe that their local news outlet is doing well financially, local news organizations are actually struggling against declines in circulation and advertising. Over 2,100 newspapers have closed over the past 15 years.

In our connected age, there is an abundance of news and opinion coming at us 24/7. It’s all covered in minute detail, and we are free to share it and our opinions on the matter. But missing from that collection of trivia and substance is news of what is happening in our own backyards. Local news about a tax increase or a zoning decision is rarely of such interest that it trends nationally, but it has an outsized impact on the everyday lives of residents in small towns and city neighborhoods. When local newspapers fail, these communities are often left without any news organization to care about, watch over, and report on the actions of the county commission, city council, or the local school board.

Our guests this week are local journalists Chas Hundley and Mark Miller.

Chas is the Editor/Publisher of The Banks Post and The Gales Creek Journal. He grew up in Gales Creek, establishing the Gales Creek Journal after high school. He’s since gone on to launch a small media company with publications covering far west Washington County and the Tillamook State Forest.

Mark Miller works with the Pamplin Media Group as Editor-in-Chief of several of their publications, including the Hillsboro News-Times, Forest Grove News-Times, and Beaverton Valley Times among others. The Pamplin Media Group is a media conglomerate owned by Robert B. Pamplin, Jr., operating primarily in the Portland metropolitan area. Pamplin owns 29 newspapers and employs over 200 people.

This week's topic is Healthcare, Part 2 with former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber. Dr. Kitzhaber is well known in Oregon and across the country for his expertise on health care and health policy. He has practiced as an emergency physician, served for 14 years in the Oregon legislature, and completed three terms as governor of Oregon. Through his service, he authored the Oregon Health Plan and was the chief architect of the state's Coordinated Care Organizations.

The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) provides health care coverage for low-income Oregonians from all walks of life. This includes working families, children, pregnant women, single adults, seniors, and more.

A Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) is a network of all types of health care providers who are working together in their local communities to serve people who receive health care coverage under the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid). CCOs integrate physical, mental, and dental care with the goal of better health, better care, and lower costs. CCOs focus on prevention of illness and disease and improving care. This helps reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and gives people support to be healthy.

This week's topic is Healthcare, Part 1 with former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber. Dr. Kitzhaber is well known in Oregon and across the country for his expertise on health care and health policy. He has practiced as an emergency physician, served for 14 years in the Oregon legislature, and completed three terms as governor of Oregon. Through his service, he authored the Oregon Health Plan and was the chief architect of the state's Coordinated Care Organizations.

The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) provides health care coverage for low-income Oregonians from all walks of life. This includes working families, children, pregnant women, single adults, seniors, and more.

A Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) is a network of all types of health care providers who are working together in their local communities to serve people who receive health care coverage under the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid). CCOs integrate physical, mental, and dental care with the goal of better health, better care, and lower costs. CCOs focus on prevention of illness and disease and improving care. This helps reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and gives people support to be healthy.

This week’s interview is Part 2 on Affordable Housing and Homelessness, where Rob’s conversation with Cole Merkel, Cadence Petros, and Nathan Teske is focused on the homeless.

Cole Merkel is the Deputy Director of Outreach and Engagement at HereTogether, a Portland-based nonprofit that helps find solutions for the systemic crises of homelessness, including issues of housing affordability and equity. He previously served as the vendor program director for Street Roots, a weekly street newspaper that assists people experiencing homelessness by offering them paid work for distributing the paper.

Cadence Petros is the Development Division manager for the City of Beaverton. Her department oversees the development of affordable housing projects within Beaverton. She has served the City of Beaverton for seven years, first working as Assistant City Attorney before progressing to her current role in the Development Division. Previously, Petros served as a general counsel for the Mercy Corps.

Nathan Teske is the Executive Director of Bienestar, a Washington County-based nonprofit that provides affordable housing for primarily Latinx residents of Washington County. He has over 15 years of experience improving outcomes for immigrant and low-income communities. His experience ranges from fund development for complex commercial projects to creating and managing new economic and social programs not found anywhere else in Oregon.

This week's interview is Part 1 on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. Bringing their experience to the conversation are Cole Merkel, Cadence Petros, and Nathan Teske.

Cole Merkel is the Deputy Director of Outreach and Engagement at Here Together, a Portland-based nonprofit that helps find solutions for the systemic crises of homelessness, including issues of housing affordability and equity. He previously served as the vendor program director for Street Roots, a weekly street newspaper that assists people experiencing homelessness by offering them paid work for distributing the paper.

Cadence Petros is the Development Division manager for the City of Beaverton. Her department oversees the development of affordable housing projects within Beaverton. She has served the City of Beaverton for seven years, first working as Assistant City Attorney before progressing to her current role in the Development Division. Previously, Petros served as a general counsel for the Mercy Corps.

Nathan Teske is the Executive Director of Bienestar, a Washington County-based nonprofit that provides affordable housing for primarily Latinx residents of Washington County. He has over 15 years of experience improving outcomes for immigrant and low-income communities. His experience ranges from fund development for complex commercial projects to creating and managing new economic and social programs not found anywhere else in Oregon.

Elizabeth Furse is a former member of the United States Congress from Oregon’s First District. She served three terms from 1992 to 1998. Since 1998 she has worked with national tribal leaders to establish the Institute for Tribal Government in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. She was also a co-founder of the National Coalition to Support Indian Treaties (1970-78), the Director of the tribal restoration project for the Native American Program at Oregon Legal Services (1980-86), and the Founder and Director of the Oregon Peace Institute (1986-91). During her tenure in the U.S. Congress, Ms. Furse served on the Merchant Marine & Fisheries, Banking, and Armed Services Committees.