Grants Pass 1950 O LD $28,500. S 88 COUPE , 0845. W Call for more auto., air, p.s., EB ID#3 info., 97 10044 1-409- February 15, 2015 Sunday 75 cents Kitz’s resignation elevates secretary of state Weather By Tim Fought and Jeff Barnard Associated Press More sun ahead Aside from patchy morning fot, we’ll see more sun in the coming days. See Page 2A. Sunday’s high Monday’s high 60 63 What’s inside PORTLAND — The resignation of Gov. John Kitzhaber instantly promoted the liberal Democrat who is next in line to succeed him: the 54-year-old secretary of state who has long been thought to have her eye on Oregon’s top elected position. Kate Brown, who is widely considered to be to the left of the departing Democratic governor, will also become the first openly bisexual governor in the nation. She will not assume office until Wednesday, when Kitzhaber’s resignation takes effect. He is stepping down amid suspicions that his fiancee used No vacancy KITZHABER BROWN their relationship to land contracts for her green-energy consulting business. “This is a sad day for Oregon. But I am confident that legislators are ready to come together to move Oregon forward,” Brown said Friday. “I know you all have a lot of questions, and I will answer them as soon as possible. As you can imagine, there is a lot of work to be done between now and Wednesday.” Unlike most states, Oregon has no lieutenant governor. Under the state constitution, the secretary of state takes over if a governor steps down or dies. That has happened eight times since statehood, according to the Blue Book, the state government almanac. Until recent weeks, the assumptions were that Kitzhaber would finish his full, fourth term and Brown would be a top contender in 2018 to succeed him. The new job will require her to start running for election immediately, said Ron Cease, a retired professor of political science and public administration at Portland State University who served in the Legislature with Brown. • More about the Kitzhaber ethics investigation and what’s next on 6A. Brown would not serve out Kitzhaber’s full term, but would have to go on the ballot in the next general election in 2016. “I would think the stress level is going to be enormous,” Cease said. Brown, a Minnesota native, came to Oregon to attend law school in Portland, the state’s largest city, and established a family law practice before her first run for the Legislature. Her sexuality has never been a prominent issue in Oregon, where Portland recently had an openly gay mayor in Sam Adams and where the current speaker of the House, Tina Kotek, is a lesbian. News accounts have long said Brown is married but considers herself bisexual, without elaborating. Her Blue Book biography says she lives in Portland with her husband, Dan. She still considers herself bisexual, her spokesman, Tony Green, said Friday. Turn to GOVERNOR, Page 6A SEE THE TOWER COME DOWN Built in 1936, the Flamingo Inn is slated for demolition, displacing about 15 tenants. The residential motel has fallen into disrepair and is full of asbestos, meaning renovations would be too costly, a spokesman says. Page 3A Too strong Sheldon proves to be too much for the Grants Pass girls in their last home game of the regular basketball season. SPORTS / Page 1B Fast fingers Young violinist Sarah Klein will perform the impressive Tchaikovsky violin concerto at the next Youth Symphony concert. ENTERTAINMENT / Page 6B RVs on the move River City RV has moved to Redwood Avenue to make room for the new WinCo Foods grocery store. Page 5A What’s online Web highlights A time-lapse video shows the demolition of a former Grants Pass hospital at... thedailycourier.com A look ahead Oscar party Enjoy the Oscars with a posh (but simple) spread of appetizers and champagne cocktails. TUESDAY Where to find it Abby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7B Classified . . . . . . . . . .1-6C Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . .8C Entertainment . . . . . . .6-7B Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . .5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . .4A Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8B Sports . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3B Sunday health . . . . . . . .8A Call us at 541-474-3700 email [email protected] Volume CV No. 105 Issue 31587 3 Sections, 24 Pages A selection of images from cameras mounted by county officials across from Dimmick Tower in northwest Grants Pass shows the tower’s demolition over the course of a little more than a month earlier this winter. Daily Courier staff created a 45-second time-lapse video from a selection of the approximately 30,000 still images. To see the tower come down, visit thedailycourier.com. Former hospital site ready for rebirth By Jim Moore of the Daily Courier The Dimmick Tower is down. Now, Josephine County officials can now concentrate on turning a property that has been an albatross for years into something that could serve the community, while at the same time producing revenue. “Right now we’re implementing a marketing strategy,” County Commissioner Simon Hare said. “We’re rolling out a proposal for bids for development.” The building, owned by Josephine County and formerly known as Josephine Memorial Hospital, sits on 6.3 acres the county owns at the intersection of A and Dimmick streets. Hare, who has spearheaded the demolition project, said the county is currently offering 4 acres of the campus to potential developers, but that the entire campus could be developed under the right circumstances. The campus also contains buildings that house the Josephine County Public Health Department, Josephine County Planning, the Building Department, and the Commission for Children and Families. If the county accepts a plan to develop the entire area, those departments would be moved. “We’re reaching out to key developers around the state,” Hare said. The county has a list of 19 companies that specialize in developing senior housing, he said. The initial focus on transitional senior housing is a result of recommendations by the firm of Maul Foster & Alongi, which was hired to create a strategic plan. Officials also hosted town hall forums to gather public input regarding how to use the property. Senior housing may be the county’s first choice, but Hare said other development is possible as well. “Our highest goal is that it conforms to the community,” Hare said, though he added that he doesn’t think the county would consider developing a commercial hub on the site. Not only is the county not locked into a specific type of development, officials are also open to three potential types of negotiations. “It could be for sale, it could be leased, or it could be a publicprivate partnership,” Hare said. He said he thinks the publicprivate partnership would be the most lucrative for the county in the long run. Demolition of the building was completed last month and crews hauled away debris. There may be a tank that has to be removed, Hare said, but there are no indications of any problems. Utilities are available on the site. “There’s really no infrastructure that needs to be modified,” Hare said. The four-story tower was built in 1964. Due to neglect the building deteriorated and mold, lead and asbestos permeated the structure when it was razed. The demolition and developing a marketing plan were estimated to cost more than $1 million. The county said 40 percent of the cost would be paid by a grant from the state of Oregon. In addition, the county received a low-interest loan from the Oregon Business Development Department for up to $1.5 million that is dedicated to the project. Hare said the project has cost $1.1 million to date and he anticipates the county won’t use the entire loan. ——— Reach reporter Jim Moore at 541-474-3721 or [email protected] Online video shows Dimmick demolition Hospital. The building disappears in rectangular chunks, right before your eyes. Knocking down the DimJosephine County put up mick Tower took about five two cameras in early weeks, but you can watch it December, running 14 hours happen in 45 seconds, with a a day, one across Dimmick time-lapse video posted at and another on the county www.thedailycourier.com. health offices next door to “It was a fun project for the tower. everyone to work on,” said In fact they’re still runTravis Moore, general man- ning — you can see a live ager at the Daily Courier. “I feed on the county website, think people will enjoy www.co.josephine.or.us. Just watching the buildlook for the link ing getting “Demolition of the knocked down.” Dimmick Tower” The video is a on the homepage. little like one of Watch video County officials those time-lapses graciously gave the online of army ants Courier a hard devouring a lizard drive with the carcass, or vultures strip- footage from the camera ping a wildebeest. across Dimmick, looking to The large excavators the southeast. It begins Dec. scurry to and fro, taking 11, and ends Jan. 16, coverbites from the building, for- ing the time of heaviest merly known as Josephine demolition. Memorial Hospital, and later The footage is actually as the Dimmick campus of Turn to VIDEO, Page 7A Three Rivers Community By Jeff Duewel of the Daily Courier 911 Agency to review air ambulance policy With a new service provider in the area, it’s time to look at how calls are dispatched By Jim Moore of the Daily Courier Confusion over air ambulance service in Josephine County will most likely be settled Tuesday, when the local 911 Agency board of directors meets. The hubbub stems from confusion over how the 911 Agency operates and how that, in turn, relates to dispatching for air ambulance service in the region, which until recently was served by one company but now has two. Until Oregon Lifeguard began operating at the Grants Pass Airport late last year, the only air ambulance service that had been available locally was Mercy Flights, which is based in Medford. Mindful of the competition, last month the Josephine County Board of Commissioners recommended that 911 dispatchers should send whichever air ambulance service is based closer to the scene. The recommendation provoked backlash from Illinois Valley Fire Chief Dennis Hoke and shined a spotlight on the fact that the Board of Commis- POLK MEREDITH sioners has no authority over the 911 agency. County Commissioner Cherryl Walker said protocols such as the closest-proximity rule are designed to “prevent confusion. It’s not up to the first responders.” Her opinion on the subject is particularly weighty, as she was recently named to the normally obscure board that governs the 911 Agency and will attend her first meeting as a board member on Tuesday. But several of her new colleagues on the 911 board contend it’s up to the various fire departments and police agencies that use 911 to decide which air ambulance service will be called, not dispatchers. “It’s not our job to make that determination,” said Jim Polk, former city recorder of Cave Junction and member of the 911 board since 1992. Board member Jay Meredith, the finance director for the city of Grants Pass, agreed with Polk, saying whichever first responder is on the scene and makes the call for a helicopter should designate which air ambulance company to call. “The 911 Agency will respect the procedures and protocols set by each agency,” Meredith added. The dispute began when Oregon Lifeguard set up shop at the Grants Pass Airport, competing with long-established Mercy Flights. Virtually every fire department in the region, as well as the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety’s fire and police services, use the 911 dispatching service, as does American Medical Response ambulance and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The only two significant public safety agencies that don’t use 911 dispatching services are the Josephine County Sheriff’s Turn to 911, Page 7A
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