We are here to help
Charbonneau Villager February 2026 15
Aid
■ From Page 14
too can experience the joy of giving.
Our gifts and other donations are distributed at these parties. Ashley told a delightful story about a young girl who excitedly picked out a bike. She proceeded to hop on the bike and ride around the room. Not having an overabundance of space, the ride was circular in motion. As she passed Ashley the first time, she rang her bell and said to Ashley,“ I didn’ t get a ticket.” It took a minute to register and then the light bulb went off in Ashley’ s mind and she realized,“ traffic ticket!” Quickly Ashley picked up a stack of sticky notes and on each one wrote“ Ticket.” From that point forward each time she rode by, the little girl was handed a ticket. When her foster parents came into the room and observed what was happening, one of the parents asked the girl,“ Where will you get all the money to pay the traffic tickets?”,
to which she replied with a smile,“ They are just a warning.” Is this make-believe mimicking life? No matter what walks of life children are in, they are all truly clever and know how to enjoy themselves. This is what makes us all smile.
As we go forward in the year, please save the date to attend our fundraising luncheon. This will be held on Friday, March 13. Signups should be open now and the deadline will be March 2. This will be a lovely lunch and include appetizers, a piano player, raffles, wine and more. The cost is $ 45 and, of that, $ 10 will be given to the Boys & Girls Aid. You can reserve a table if you want, or come alone or with your spouse, friends and family. This is open to all. Watch for emails for details or check out the electronic board in the Activity Center. If you are debating whether to participate, keep in mind the theme for this event, To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow. The result of this fundraiser are the seeds in which this garden of children will grow and thrive.
Sunshine Services
By JOAN VEDDER
We are here to help
We made it to 2026! Depending on when you were born, that’ s a real milestone.... pat yourself on the back. Like me, I’ m sure you
VEDDER surmounted a lot of“ stuff” over those years, but supposedly it was“ character building.” We didn’ t win all the challenges but we realized they weren’ t all meant to be anyway!
The news is full of flu season and I think we need to be aware of its seriousness. Please stay home if you don’ t feel well and call your doctor for advice. Sunshine Service probably won’ t be of much help but we can help in so many other instances.
If you’ ve had pieces of our equipment beyond the suggested timeframe, you may be getting a phone call to nudge returning it. The New Year has us going through our books with hopes of closing out 2025? We can arrange to come to your house and pick items up if you can’ t get to the Activity Center on your own. SpringRidge residents especially can have door-to-door service.
Occasionally we are offered items that we can’ t accept— recliner chairs, electric scooters, etc. The main reason for rejection is the fact that they are too big to move or store. You can try other places like veterans, Goodwill, etc. and some of them might even pick up. And of course you can always try to sell them?
We’ re still a ways from spring, but I do see the tiny showing of my daffodils and hyacinth! With all the Christmas candy and cookies now gone, we can set new boundaries.
Stay healthy is my wish for you but remember that Sunshine is here to help as well.
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 • Vol 41, Issue 27 • $ 1
NEWS IS CHANGING RAPIDLY | For breaking stories and the latest headlines, visit wilsonvillespokesman. com
Intensifying DISPUTE
By KRISTA KROISS Staff Reporter
As Home Depot continues push to move into Wilsonville, city accuses company of bribery
Amid allegations of bribery and other misdeeds levied by the city of Wilsonville, Home Depot will appeal to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals a city decision that prevents its use of the Fry’ s Electronics building. The appeal comes as Home Depot also seeks an enforcement order with the Land Conservation and Development Commission against the city for allegedly violating local and state law.
Home Depot has been working to come to Wilsonville by moving into the former Fry’ s Electronics building at 29400 Town Center Loop W. The process has involved two land use reviews, one defining the existing nonconforming status of the property and the other deciding if Home Depot
Fourth of July concert,
would continue that use. The city has repeatedly denied appeals for both applications, defining the property as an electronics-related retail store and saying that Home Depot’ s operations would be different than Fry’ s Electronics— not a“ continuation of use.”
According to a notice sent to the city on Thursday, May 23, representatives of Home Depot intend to appeal the Wilsonville City Council’ s May 17 decision denying Home Depot’ s proposed use of the property, ruling that the company would not qualify as a continuation of use. This decision, which upholds a previous Development Review Board determination, will be appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.
The notice on an enforcement order is related to a city
STAFF FILE PHOTO: KRISTA KROISS Home Depot will appeal a City Council decision preventing it from using the former Fry’ s Electronics building. It will also seek an enforcement order against the city, and in a response the city detailed accusations of bribery and intimidation tactics. decision on the status of the Fry’ s Electronics building. In March the Development Review Board upheld Wilsonville Planning Director Miranda Bateschell’ s decision, adding that the property is“ 159,400 square foot electronics-related retail store,” based on Fry’ s Electronics’ occupancy of
By DANA HAYNES Staff Reporter the building when updated zoning codes from the Town Center Plan took effect in June 2019.
Reactions pour in following Supreme Court ruling on Grants Pass
Court says homelessness ordinance does not violate constitutional rights
See DISPUTE / A3
Oregonians spoke out after the Friday, June 28, news that the U. S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a homelessness ordinance in Grants Pass, Oregon, saying the city’ s prohibition on outdoor camping does not violate the Constitution’ s Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
Plaintiffs in the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson had argued that criminalizing the state of being homelessness crossed a constitutional barrier. They cited, for precedent, Robinson v. California, a 1962 decision in which the Supreme Court ruled that the criminalization of addiction violates the Eighth Amendment. Plaintiffs in the Grants Pass case said the state of being homeless is like being an addict; as such, people should not face criminal charges for it.
Grants Pass is in Josephine County, south of Roseburg. The town of nearly 40,000 has about 600 people who are homeless, according to service providers. The only nonprofit that can provide shelter in that city can house up to 100 beds, according to a brief submitted for the Supreme Court case.
The ruling could pave the way for stricter rules on homelessness in every Oregon community, and the ripple effect could reach across state lines.
Wilsonville City Manager Bryan Cosgrove said it is too early to tell if there are going to be any changes to the city’ s rules on public camping.
Currently people are able to camp for survival in designated sites near the Wilsonville City Hall between 9 p. m. and 7 a. m. Prior to this rule, which took effect last year, city code banned public camping. The updated city code was a response to federal and state laws prohibiting cities from punishing people for sleeping on public property when no other options are available.
Following the Supreme Court’ s ruling, Cosgrove said there will be some discussion on the city code. He estimated that the council will be able to discuss the matter in August.
Those opposed to the high court’ s decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson include Northwest Housing Alternatives, an affordable housing nonprofit in the Pacific Northwest.
“ Northwest Housing Alternatives is deeply troubled to learn that the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of targeting and systemically punishing people experiencing homelessness,” said Kelsey Heilman, the nonprofit board’ s vice chair, and Trell Anderson, executive director, in a written release.“ Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep at night. We know in our collective conscience that there are not enough
one of us
ordable housing options in our
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