Friday, September 24, 2021
News & Notes
Special session for Oregon Legislature on tight mapping deadline
   The Oregon Legislature met this week for a special session to look at redistricting.
   According to the 2020 Census, Oregon's population has grown to the point of needing a 6th congressional representative.
   The State Legislature has the job of coming together to define where the new district for this representative should be.
   It is also tasked with redefining or redrawing districts for the State Legislature - this is done every 10 years.
   In its public outreach efforts, the Legislature reports more than 1,500 pieces of testimony from constituents have been taken into account in the redistricting efforts.
   The Senate did pass the redistricting bills SB 881 and SB 882, but unfortunately, Covid got in the way of this week's plans, when it was confirmed someone with the Coronavirus was in the building on Monday.
   As a result, House Speaker Tina Kotek sent lawmakers home.
   They will reconvene tomorrow with a deadline of Monday (September 27) to provide new district lines.
   If this deadline is not met, the task will fall to Secretary of State Shemia Fagan to complete.
   Fagan has said if it comes to her, she will put together a "People's Commission" to help guide her decisions - 760 people from all across the state have applied to be a part of this advisory group.
   To read more, turn to Peter Wong's article for Pamplin Media.
Terminal 6 welcomes more ships coming to Port
   While other west coast ports have ships anchored offshore, waiting for the chance to offload, the Port of Portland's Terminal 6 (T6) is seeing more vessels docking for container service.
   For more than 18 months, Portland has been a port of call for South Korean shipper SM, and it is expanding its service with two more vessels per month stopping at T6.
   Even better news comes from MSC, the world's second largest carrier, which will be adding container service at T6.
   The Port also reports there is service being added from private charter vessels and domestic containers.
   This new business at T6 will bring more good paying jobs to the region and support those importing or exporting products.
   “Terminal 6 is productive and busy at a time of economic recovery that is so important to our regional economy,” said Dan Pippenger, chief operating officer at the Port of Portland. “That wouldn’t have been possible without SM Line committing to the Portland market and the hard work of all the workers on site. In the last year, longshore workers endured a pandemic, an unprecedented wildfire season and snowstorms – and through it all, they kept goods and products moving in and out of the region. While these new services won’t solve supply chain issues overnight, they will help local businesses find alternative shipping options in our region.”
   To hear more about the scene at T6, see KGW's Pat Dooris' report.
Virginia Garcia announces new COO
   Virginia Garcia has hired Mark Millan as its new chief operating officer.
   Millan has more than 25 years of experience working with Federally Qualified Health Centers in underserved communities.
   He is returning to Oregon after being a chief operations officer and a director of managed care and contracting for healthcare systems in California.
   Millan grew up in a migrant community, harvesting crops in Washington, Oregon, and California.
   He earned a master’s degree in health care administration and a bachelor's degree in health sciences/healthcare management from Trident University International.
Odds & Ends
  • Congratulations to WEA members Port of Portland, Kaiser Permanente, David Evans & Associates, and OHSU's Hillsboro Medical Center for being recognized by the Portland Business Journal as being in the top 15 "healthiest employers" with 500 -1,499 employees.

  • Do you have a small business? The cities of Forest Grove, Sherwood, Wilsonville, and Tigard have partnered on a Small Business Workshop series you may be interested in attending. Learn more on the City of Tigard's website.

  • Are you feeling hungry? Now is an opportune time to take advantage of Beaverton's Restaurant Week, happening through October 3. Frontline workers are receiving a 10% discount at some of the eateries.

  • If you are looking to improve your physical and mental health, getting outdoors may be the key. Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District is offering free Fitness In The Park classes throughout the fall season.
Events coming up
Wed. 10/13 at 7:30 a.m. - The Transportation Committee will meet virtually. All members are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Gail Greenman.

Wed. 10/20 at 12:00 p.m. - The Land Use & Housing Committee will meet virtually. All members are welcome to attend.

Wed. 10/27 at 7:30 a.m. - The WEA Board of Directors will meet virtually.