Inside Washington County with Rob Solomon

This week, in an encore presentation on a very important issue - we look at guns. How does gun violence impact our communities? There are mass shootings which make headlines but make up less than 1 percent of the more than 38,000 gun deaths in our country every year. Bullets have become the leading cause of death for children and teens. The impact appears obvious, and it is. People are hurt or killed. But there’s damage to loved ones who survive, and an impact on the community that we will explore. Joining us today is Hilary Uhlig, Director of Oregon’s branch of Moms Demand Action. Uhlig joined the Oregon chapter four years ago, and now leads the chapter with 12 local groups statewide comprising thousands of supporters and volunteers. And we have Jennifer Langston who serves as the state survivor membership lead for the same organization.

Today, in an encore episode from earlier this year, we explore some non profit organizations who are doing their very best to help people struggling to survive the current economic realities in our County. Affordable housing is extremely hard to find, grocery prices are skyrocketing and gasoline costs are unbearable for too many. Joining us  is Lisa Mentasana, co director of  the Newly reopened Beaverton Resource Center; Lois O’Halloran, Board Chair for Beaverton’s Family Promise; and Gregg Clemmons, Board President for St. Vincent de Paul in Hillsboro.

Our focus this week is on Oregon’s forests- in Washington County and Statewide. Oregon is known for beautiful forests and a long history of logging those forests. We want to take a good look at those forests & all the trees! To learn what’s harming the industry, what’s happening to our forests and why- and given the threats to forests, what’s being done to preserve forested lands. Our guest today is Sean Stevens, Executive Director of Oregon Wild, a non profit organization working to protect the Oregon Wilderness.

We are not too far from the 2022 primary election. Elections- especially local elections can, and most often do, have an impact on our everyday life. We’re going to discuss how the issues impact our county’s Latino community. Joining us are Maria Caballero Rubio-executive director for Centro culturale, Hector Hinojosa a well known community activist from Hillsboro, and Olga Acuna-Olga Acuna, President of the Latino Policy Council.

Beaverton elected a new mayor last November and, after a vote to change the form of government, hired its first city manager. It’s new for Beaverton residents, and it’s new for City Council and City staff. Today we meet Jenny Haruyama, Beaverton’s City Manager. Join us for insights into a major change in how Beaverton works.

The country, our county and our cities within Washington  County have a lack of affordable housing. Metro has passed a bond, agencies like Bienestar and Here Together are working hard to provide assistance to those in need. This week, in an encore presentation, we take a look at a group that has been working on this issue for decades-in their own way. We are going to discuss housing with Habitat for Humanity. Our guest is Steve Messinetti, executive director, Habitat for Humanity-Portland region.

This week we take a look at emergency services in Washington county. Lately, it seems there have been a lot of emergencies-a global pandemic, forests burning, flooded areas and more. The Emergency Management Office works to minimize the effects of major emergencies and disasters on the community. Today we’ll learn how they their job. Our guest is John Wheeler, manager of the Washington County Emergency Services Department.

 

Homelessness is a National, state , county and city issue. It’s a visible issue and hidden as well. This week, in an encore show from last November,  we look at the homelessness situation in our county. We consider what resources we have, what’s being done with those resources and just what the future looks like. Our guests this week will help us do just that. Joining us is Nathan Teske – Nathan is the Executive Director of Bienestar, a Washington County-based nonprofit that provides affordable housing for primarily Latinx residents of Washington County. And, Mereida Alcazar.-Mereida is a case manager working in Bienestar’s new Supportive Housing Services program. In addition to her work, Mereida has a personal story of her own experience that she will share with us. And We have Jes Larson. Jes works for Washington County. She is the County’s Supportive Housing Services Manager. Join us as we dive into a complex issue.

 

Today, we explore some non profit organizations who are doing their very best to help people struggling to survive the current economic realities in our County. Affordable housing is extremely hard to find, living costs are skyrocketing- magnified by pandemic related issues it’s overwhelming for so many.

Joining us  is Lois O’Halloran, Board Chair for Beaverton’s Family Promise; Lisa Mentasana, co director of  the Newly reopened Beaverton Resource Center; Lois O’Halloran, Board Chair for Beaverton’s Family Promise; and Gregg Clemmons, Board President for St. Vincent de Paul in Hillsboro.

This week, in an encore program from this Fall, we take a look at mental health services in Washington County. We try to understand what our County needs in Mental health and just how Washington County government plays a role. We also consider the impact of Covid 19. Our guest  is Nick Ocon, Director of our County’s Behavioral health department, covering both mental health and addictions.