Inmate Work Program Ends, After Many Accomplishments

John Richards and Jack Cordova take a break from laying block for a “cremains garden” at Toledo Pioneer Cemetery February 18.

A two-year grant funding inmate work crews through the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) ends February 29, after providing many public service projects in local parks, cemeteries and more. The $430,684 grant from the National Recovery Act provided funds for LCSO to create a new program from scratch, according to Sheriff’s Corporal Tim Evertt. “The stimulus grant had two parts,” he said, “one brought back some inmate programs inside our facility – a sales program, some classes inmates could participate in.” Those were easy, Evertt said, because deputies were already well-versed in the material. The hard part was creating a work-crew program because it had to be done from scratch. Evertt said there was a good model at hand, but it presented a conflict. “Lincoln County Parole and Probation has a work crew program providing some people an alternative to incarceration,” Evertt said. “But we found out there was not a lot of work out there. And anything we took from them would jeopardize their program. So we had to take a step back,” he said.

A good alternative showed up right on time, Evertt said, when local Food Share needed a home demolished as part of one of its projects, and couldn’t afford to have anyone do it for hire. “Well that started the wheels turning in my head that there was a lot of stuff we could do for non-profit organizations,” he added. Evertt said the program took off from there, with inmate crews averaging about 500 hours a month for almost two years, with crews out almost every day. Four corrections deputies were assigned as team leaders, scheduled to oversee crews in their regular duties. Over the last two years, enough jobs at LCSO were lost through attrition that there won’t be any layoffs after the grant expires next week.

An inmate worker uncovers a buried headstone at Toledo Pioneer Cemetery in 2011

Cleanup at area cemeteries may have been the most visible projects the crews took on. The cleanup and restoration of the Riverside VFW Cemetery in Siletz and the Toledo Pioneer Cemetery had a big emotional impact as well as a physical one. For example the rededication of the Riverside cemetery November 9, 2010 brought out more than 60 people on a cold, rainy afternoon to celebrate the work done by the crews and community volunteers who also pitched in. Work in Toledo reclaimed about an acre of ground, and revealed dozens of headstones that had been buried for many years under blackberry bramble. The burial plots of entire families were revealed by the inmates’ work. Other projects included cleanup at the Eureka cemetery, a historical graveyard owned by the Lincoln County Historical Society, replacement of floors in the Nashville food bank, weeding, maintenance of the Optimist Club recycling center and more.

One crew member was hired full-time for cemetery maintenance work after his release and others have picked up valuable trade skills along the way. “It’s a win for the public, and a win for these inmates,” Evertt said, because they did jobs there was no budget for and no one available to do them. Jobs outside the jail walls are most prized by inmates “and they really work hard when they are out there. They are accomplishing something, and that was the neat part for us,” Evertt said.

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Internationally Acclaimed Human Rights Film Screened February 28

The internationally acclaimed documentary “Granito: How to Nail a Dictator” will be showed at 6:30 p.m. February 28 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (9th and Hurbert) in Newport. Admission is free. The film is about violence and genocide in Guatemala, where in 1982 a genocidal “scorched earth” campaign by the military exterminated nearly 200,000 Maya people. In 2011, more perpetrators of the genocide against the Maya people have been arrested, tried and convicted than in the previous 30 years, according to the film’s presenters, the Immigration Information Response Team of Lincoln County. “Granito” has been screened around the world in more than 50 film festivals, including Sundance, where it received a standing ovation. It was the Opening Night Film at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in New York. Call 541-265-6216 for more information.

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Isaac Newton Magnet School Orientation Scheduled

Isaac Newton Magnet School (INMS) Orientation for the 2012-2013 school year takes place at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 6. it is a mandatory orientation for prospective students and their parents, providing an overview of the school program and the application process. INMS is a county-wide magnet program for grades 6-8, located at Newport Intermediate School (825 N.E. Seventh Street). INMS draws students from throughout Lincoln County, with no school variance needed to attend. Admission to INMS is by application only. For more information contact Principal Majalise Tolan at 541-265-6601.

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Sheriff’s Office Expands Online Reporting

(This item also available in Spanish)  The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has expanded the list of incidents that can now be reported using its online reporting system. The online system for filing police reports was introduced in 2009. According to the LCSO, the system can now be used for reporting incidents that do not require direct contact with a deputy, or to speed-up filing a report. The following incidents can now be reported online: theft; criminal mischief or vandalism; identity theft; animal nuisance; harassing phone calls; lost property; abandoned vehicles; dumping complaints; suspicious activity that does not require an immediate response. The incident should have occurred in Lincoln County, but outside the city limits of Newport, Lincoln City, Toledo or Siletz. LCSO stresses that if a situation involves an emergency, residents should call 9-1-1. All reports submitted online are reviewed by a supervisor and assigned to a deputy. Deputies will contact people filing reports when necessary for additional information, unless they do not wish to be contacted.

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Aquarium Seeks Youth Volunteers

The Oregon Coast Aquarium wants teenage candidates for its youth volunteer team. Youth volunteers receive 48 hours of training in marine science, marine animals, and conservation. Successful completion of training can earn young people three transferable college credits from the Oregon Coast Community College and high school credit in some high schools as well. Enrollment is open through March 9. Training occurs Saturdays from April 7 through May 12. ”It is a great time to get involved and spend the summer with friends, learning and growing as leaders together,” said Tricia Ratliff, Aquarium Youth Programs Coordinator. “Becoming a youth volunteer offers an opportunity for teens to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with others.” Ratliff said friendships, personal development, and networking opportunities are also benefits of the program . After training, youth volunteers work with the public as interpreters during two 4.5 hour shifts a week during the summer. Benefits include educational work experience, references, discounts in the Aquarium gift shop and café along with complimentary passes for every 100 hours of volunteer service. After completing 50 hours of service youth volunteers are eligible to receive an Aquarium membership. For information call 541-867-2474 x 5312 or email.

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