On this day, May 5, 1903, James Beard, US culinary expert, author (Delights & Prejudices), was born in Portland, Ore.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing Mrs. Elsie Mitchell, the pregnant wife of a minister, and five children after they attempted to drag it out the woods in Lakeview, Oregon. The balloon was armed, and exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They became the 1st and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental US during World War II.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, Bly minister Archie Mitchell, his pregnant wife Elsie, and five children from Mitchell's Sunday school class were on a Saturday morning picnic. Thirteen miles northeast of Bly, or about sixty miles northeast of Klamath Falls, Mitchell parked the car, and Elsie and the children headed to Leonard Creek. Mitchell later remembered: "As I got out of the car to bring the lunch, the others were not far away and called to me they had found something that looked like a balloon. I heard of Japanese balloons so I shouted a warning not to touch it. But just then there was a big explosion. I ran up there--and they were all dead." It was a Japanese balloon bomb. They were 70 feet tall with a 33-foot diameter paper canopy connected to the main device by shroud lines. Balloons inflated with hydrogen followed the jet stream at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
“Hurry up on payment programs!â€
As the Legislature prepares to convene Monday for a special session, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) expressed support for the special session priority list outlined by Governor Brown, saying, “We have a proposal before us to keep thousands of Oregonians from losing their housing while rental assistance is on the way. I applaud the two legislative housing chairs -- Rep. Julie Fahey and Senator Kayse Jama – for their ongoing work to address this crisis. Next week, we must honor our commitment to keep Oregonians housed.â€
Despite making housing a priority during her tenure as speaker, Speaker Kotek has presided over a serious crisis in housing availability and affordability, some say caused by the very policies that she has supported and encouraged.
Despite record-low unemployment in Oregon, Democrats in state government continue to push taxpayer-funded rental assistance. Public assistance programs for renters
have been criticized as poorly managed.
Multifamily NW, a housing provider advocacy organization of residential property managers, owners, and vendors throughout Portland, Southern Washington, and down through the Willamette Valley to Medford has produced a
rental survey. Some of the comments made by respondents reflect the frustration with rental assistance program follow through at Oregon Housing and Community Services.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
One said, “People are starting the assistance applications but not finishing. Many people paying after applying for assistance and then receiving large assistance checks that give more than 3 future rent payments credit on accounts and cannot get a hold of Home Forward to find out what to do with excess funds.â€
According to another, “Many residents are taking advantage of the rental assistance programs. We have found many residents, carrying high delinquency balances, are fully employed, but choosing to work the system to avoid paying rent.â€
One finel, desperate respondent said, simply, “Hurry up on payment programs!â€
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2021-12-10 14:08:27 | Last Update: 2021-12-10 15:09:43 |
