Women step forward with the goal of bringing big changes to local water safety in the city
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
The tragedy began and ended in the Willamette River. The death should bring about radical changes in local water safety.
That message was passionately delivered by two Independence women at the last city council meeting, after drowning victim Gregorio Maximiano-Solano, 13, was finally found.
Both said more prominent signage, easy access to life jackets and warnings about the dangers of the water should be on or near the river’s shoreline, areas that swimmers and others use during summer. “I am so disappointed,” said Amber Covarrubias, who helped the family during part of the time Gregorio was missing, after he disappeared under the water’s surface on a hot day in Riverview Park last month.
The father of the family told her he felt his son “would still be here if there were proper precautions by the river and bigger signs,” she said. The family members were temporary residents, working in the mid-Willamette Valley during the agricultural season.
Rachael Ojeda, who also spoke at the city council meeting, said there was nothing substantial for emergencies at the riverfront.
Ojeda saw the grieving mother by the river. Covarrubias actually met the dad by going to the riverside site. When he explained that he would like help looking along the river, Covarrubias was able to attract more people to the spot by using a Facebook page.
Both Ojeda and Covarrubias called for more outreach, too. Trammart News contacted Communications Director Emmanuel Goicochea, whose job was expanded last year to assume part of the duties of the engagement coordinator, Ramon Martinez, who was let go due to the city’s financial belt-tightening. Repeated attempts to contact Goicochea for a response or comment from him or the city went unanswered.
In an immediate effort to improve the situation in the future, Ojeda spoke with Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope and met with Independence Mayor John McArdle, as well as others from the city, including City Manager Kenna West and Police Chief Robert Mason. Covarrubias has been in contact with Sgt. Tino Banuelos of the Independence Police Department. “I’d like to give him a shout-out,” she said.
Ojeda is seeking to get new, larger, more visible signage at the gravel beach and by the lifejacket stand. She already has donors lined up, from Knotty Leaves on Main Street to the Oregon Corrections Enterprises, an agency with training programs for adults in custody that plans to work on new signs. Her goal is also better access to life preservers, including the addition of three life preserver rings with ropes attached, and steady replacement of lifejackets at the river front.
Covarrubias is striving to get a committee formed that would plan how to address a crisis and include members available to do so when an event occurs -- and be able to mobilize a response effort that would include family outreach and other measures. It would be a standing committee, undertaken in conjunction with the city.
Hypothermia, hidden tree snags and invisible underwater currents all pose risks, according to law enforcement officers. “There are so many potential hazards out there that people may not realize,” said Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton.
Rocks, logs, and other debris that may be hiding just under the surface, and there can be sudden unseen “drop-offs,” he said. A few years ago, a woman wearing a life jacket lost her life after becoming entangled in a tree below the water line.
"It all gets back to education," said Bob Sallinger, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper.
A majority of Oregonians, about 70% of the state population, live near or around a river, Sallinger said.
Submerged trees can be a source of controversy, he confirmed. That’s one reason why learning about fish habitat can help: downed trees are essential to salmon migration, a fact not commonly known, he added.
Though Ojeda and Covarrubias didn’t know each other before, they are working in tandem now. And they have a lot in common: Both spent most of their lives in Independence, both have children at home, both are in the health care field, and both say they are determined to see change implemented – and soon. “I will be back again at the city council meeting,” Covarrubias said. Though a formal donor account hasn’t been set up yet, Ojeda hopes to establish one with the Monmouth-Independence Community Foundation, she said.
On a recent day, the life-jacket stand was overflowing with new vests, but the sign it bore was faded and difficult to read. A kiosk next to it – where warning signs or water-education information could go behind the glass covering – was completely empty.
It is these things, among many others, that the two would like to see changed, including more signs in Spanish.
As Sheriff Garton observed, river water is a risk to everyone. Unlike a swimming pool, it is dark and moving and can be murky. “Water doesn’t care your age, your intent or your ability to swim,” he stressed. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
The tragedy began and ended in the Willamette River. The death should bring about radical changes in local water safety.
That message was passionately delivered by two Independence women at the last city council meeting, after drowning victim Gregorio Maximiano-Solano, 13, was finally found.
Both said more prominent signage, easy access to life jackets and warnings about the dangers of the water should be on or near the river’s shoreline, areas that swimmers and others use during summer. “I am so disappointed,” said Amber Covarrubias, who helped the family during part of the time Gregorio was missing, after he disappeared under the water’s surface on a hot day in Riverview Park last month.
The father of the family told her he felt his son “would still be here if there were proper precautions by the river and bigger signs,” she said. The family members were temporary residents, working in the mid-Willamette Valley during the agricultural season.
Rachael Ojeda, who also spoke at the city council meeting, said there was nothing substantial for emergencies at the riverfront.
Ojeda saw the grieving mother by the river. Covarrubias actually met the dad by going to the riverside site. When he explained that he would like help looking along the river, Covarrubias was able to attract more people to the spot by using a Facebook page.
Both Ojeda and Covarrubias called for more outreach, too. Trammart News contacted Communications Director Emmanuel Goicochea, whose job was expanded last year to assume part of the duties of the engagement coordinator, Ramon Martinez, who was let go due to the city’s financial belt-tightening. Repeated attempts to contact Goicochea for a response or comment from him or the city went unanswered.
In an immediate effort to improve the situation in the future, Ojeda spoke with Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope and met with Independence Mayor John McArdle, as well as others from the city, including City Manager Kenna West and Police Chief Robert Mason. Covarrubias has been in contact with Sgt. Tino Banuelos of the Independence Police Department. “I’d like to give him a shout-out,” she said.
Ojeda is seeking to get new, larger, more visible signage at the gravel beach and by the lifejacket stand. She already has donors lined up, from Knotty Leaves on Main Street to the Oregon Corrections Enterprises, an agency with training programs for adults in custody that plans to work on new signs. Her goal is also better access to life preservers, including the addition of three life preserver rings with ropes attached, and steady replacement of lifejackets at the river front.
Covarrubias is striving to get a committee formed that would plan how to address a crisis and include members available to do so when an event occurs -- and be able to mobilize a response effort that would include family outreach and other measures. It would be a standing committee, undertaken in conjunction with the city.
Hypothermia, hidden tree snags and invisible underwater currents all pose risks, according to law enforcement officers. “There are so many potential hazards out there that people may not realize,” said Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton.
Rocks, logs, and other debris that may be hiding just under the surface, and there can be sudden unseen “drop-offs,” he said. A few years ago, a woman wearing a life jacket lost her life after becoming entangled in a tree below the water line.
"It all gets back to education," said Bob Sallinger, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper.
A majority of Oregonians, about 70% of the state population, live near or around a river, Sallinger said.
Submerged trees can be a source of controversy, he confirmed. That’s one reason why learning about fish habitat can help: downed trees are essential to salmon migration, a fact not commonly known, he added.
Though Ojeda and Covarrubias didn’t know each other before, they are working in tandem now. And they have a lot in common: Both spent most of their lives in Independence, both have children at home, both are in the health care field, and both say they are determined to see change implemented – and soon. “I will be back again at the city council meeting,” Covarrubias said. Though a formal donor account hasn’t been set up yet, Ojeda hopes to establish one with the Monmouth-Independence Community Foundation, she said.
On a recent day, the life-jacket stand was overflowing with new vests, but the sign it bore was faded and difficult to read. A kiosk next to it – where warning signs or water-education information could go behind the glass covering – was completely empty.
It is these things, among many others, that the two would like to see changed, including more signs in Spanish.
As Sheriff Garton observed, river water is a risk to everyone. Unlike a swimming pool, it is dark and moving and can be murky. “Water doesn’t care your age, your intent or your ability to swim,” he stressed. ▪
Proposed move by city manager to change city council rules is raising concerns and questions
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
A proposal to prohibit questions by city councilors that appear “to state an opinion or to grandstand” is a potential violation of free speech and creates a path for litigation if enforcement is attempted, according to several attorneys who were asked about changes proposed by City Manager Kenna West – changes she recommended during the last council work session.
Vague language, such as the term "grandstand," is "an invitation to potential abuse," said David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, a national nonprofit, non-partisan group based in Northern California.
The terminology is undefined and open to personal interpretation, Loy explained. Under the proposal, it would apply to members of the city council.
Elected officials, including city council members, retain certain rights to freedom of speech even when there is heavy reliance on Robert's Rules of Order. "They cannot be silenced or censored because of their opinions or viewpoints," Loy said.
Experts outside of Independence who were consulted about the issue agreed with Loy, including two other attorneys. Both lawyers preferred not using their names for publication, but one called the wording a legal challenge waiting to happen, if approved.
Some residents who were aware of the proposal also expressed worry. Following the last city council session, resident Mike Rhodes – who had referred to some city councilors as “rubber stampers” at the meeting – cited the recommended revisions to council rules now being proposed as troubling.
The document presented by the city manager would establish reasons to put restraints on the council’s public questions. This could curtail freedom of speech – comments could be restricted by the mayor or, in some cases, by the city manager, according to the new policy.
Repeated attempts to obtain a response from the city’s communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, about West and her role in the proposed policy change went unanswered. However, it wasn’t the first time that West’s approach to opinion and input has been called into question. West, herself a lawyer, often cites her legal background in dealings with the public, according to several residents.
Before he relocated to another state, Andy Duncan recalled that she had cited potential legal costs to him when he met with her to try to mitigate a land-use concern – a project in which an appeal was being considered.
“She told us of the potential administrative and legal charges,” he said. “While I can see some reason for them to prevent frivolous or malicious challenges, the entire process, from beginning to end, appears to be set up to actively prevent challenges – while presenting the illusion of meaningful public input,” Duncan said.
Duncan added that he doesn’t think this is limited only to the local government, but probably extends across all levels, from statehouses and beyond.
At the council meeting, West said that divisiveness causes a loss of decorum. "We are putting these parameters in place so that we can continue to be the effective, efficient and congenial council we've been."
The proposed city council policy changes have been submitted to city councilors for their feedback, and they won’t take effect until officially adopted. But they arrive at a time when nearly three-fourths of Americans believe basic freedoms could be lost without being cautious to protect them, according to a Cato Institute Survey of 2,000 adults in July 2024.
Among the top five most important rights to those surveyed was “freedom of speech.” The First Amendment is considered essential to the democratic process, according to many scholarly references, including a guide to the Bill of Rights by Harvard-educated lawyer and constitutional scholar Linda Monk.
The International City/County Management Association, ICMA – the professional organization of city leaders – has as one of its guiding principles “honest and open communication,” and encourages leadership that offers an “open invitation to ask questions and to speak up.” ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
A proposal to prohibit questions by city councilors that appear “to state an opinion or to grandstand” is a potential violation of free speech and creates a path for litigation if enforcement is attempted, according to several attorneys who were asked about changes proposed by City Manager Kenna West – changes she recommended during the last council work session.
Vague language, such as the term "grandstand," is "an invitation to potential abuse," said David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, a national nonprofit, non-partisan group based in Northern California.
The terminology is undefined and open to personal interpretation, Loy explained. Under the proposal, it would apply to members of the city council.
Elected officials, including city council members, retain certain rights to freedom of speech even when there is heavy reliance on Robert's Rules of Order. "They cannot be silenced or censored because of their opinions or viewpoints," Loy said.
Experts outside of Independence who were consulted about the issue agreed with Loy, including two other attorneys. Both lawyers preferred not using their names for publication, but one called the wording a legal challenge waiting to happen, if approved.
Some residents who were aware of the proposal also expressed worry. Following the last city council session, resident Mike Rhodes – who had referred to some city councilors as “rubber stampers” at the meeting – cited the recommended revisions to council rules now being proposed as troubling.
The document presented by the city manager would establish reasons to put restraints on the council’s public questions. This could curtail freedom of speech – comments could be restricted by the mayor or, in some cases, by the city manager, according to the new policy.
Repeated attempts to obtain a response from the city’s communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, about West and her role in the proposed policy change went unanswered. However, it wasn’t the first time that West’s approach to opinion and input has been called into question. West, herself a lawyer, often cites her legal background in dealings with the public, according to several residents.
Before he relocated to another state, Andy Duncan recalled that she had cited potential legal costs to him when he met with her to try to mitigate a land-use concern – a project in which an appeal was being considered.
“She told us of the potential administrative and legal charges,” he said. “While I can see some reason for them to prevent frivolous or malicious challenges, the entire process, from beginning to end, appears to be set up to actively prevent challenges – while presenting the illusion of meaningful public input,” Duncan said.
Duncan added that he doesn’t think this is limited only to the local government, but probably extends across all levels, from statehouses and beyond.
At the council meeting, West said that divisiveness causes a loss of decorum. "We are putting these parameters in place so that we can continue to be the effective, efficient and congenial council we've been."
The proposed city council policy changes have been submitted to city councilors for their feedback, and they won’t take effect until officially adopted. But they arrive at a time when nearly three-fourths of Americans believe basic freedoms could be lost without being cautious to protect them, according to a Cato Institute Survey of 2,000 adults in July 2024.
Among the top five most important rights to those surveyed was “freedom of speech.” The First Amendment is considered essential to the democratic process, according to many scholarly references, including a guide to the Bill of Rights by Harvard-educated lawyer and constitutional scholar Linda Monk.
The International City/County Management Association, ICMA – the professional organization of city leaders – has as one of its guiding principles “honest and open communication,” and encourages leadership that offers an “open invitation to ask questions and to speak up.” ▪
Artist Sue Mason says "I have had clay under my fingernails for over five decades"
By Lance Masterson
For Trammart News
One of multi-talented artist Sue Mason’s most prized possessions is a signed photo from the world’s most beloved rodent.
This particular story takes place years ago when she and late husband Harold Mason, an acclaimed artist in his own right, lived in Carmel, California.
“Harold convinced me I should enter a piece in the Monterey (County) Fair, which I did. I got best of show for one of my pots. Disneyland, at this point, was going around California and taking the best of shows from every county fair. They were for an exhibit at Disneyland.” Which is why Mickey Mouse ventured north.
At the time, Sue Mason was teaching middle school art at a private school in Carmel Valley. One day the school held an assembly.
“Well, Mickey called me on stage, had my pot with its blue ribbon, the largest blue ribbon I ever saw, and gave me a kiss on my cheek. So that was my 15 minutes of fame, right?” she said.
“Later, he sent me an autograph copy of him holding my pot. Saying, you know, ‘Love, Mickey’.”
Flash forward some 40 years and Mason is known locally, in part, for her window exhibits at River Gallery in Independence. One of her pieces was included in the gallery’s “Wild Women - Celebrating Women” art show that ended Tuesday.
Mason has produced paintings, etchings, prints and other forms during her long career. She is also known for making, collecting and redecorating chairs. In addition, she has ventured into the Day of the Dead tradition by crafting a Tree of Life, figures and other related items.
Still, Mason is best known for her ceramics. Local art lovers may also have seen her work at Cannon Gallery at Western Oregon University.
“In the fall of 2018, Harold and I engaged as an artist couple in our first collaborative show of work” at the Cannon Gallery, she stated. “It was a magical moment for me … Never had we exhibited as an artist team before.”
Mason’s ceramics aren’t only beautiful, they’re practical.
“I make functional art. Everything from tea pots to sugar bowls,” she said, noting one man came up to Harold during one of her shows and told him, “I have my morning cereal in one of your (wife’s) bowls every morning.”
Mason’s high-fire porcelain ware is influenced by the folk pottery and Faience traditions of Portugal, France and Italy. Her painting style is influenced by two masters.
“My watercolor painting style is inspired by my love of the art works of Raoul Dufy and Henri Matisse,” she elaborated. “Duffy, with his free and easy brushstrokes and gentle color, was my most dominant influence.” Mason works primarily on the potter’s wheel and generally makes one-of-a-kind pieces.
“Each of my work is hand-thrown and hand painted directly on the finished forms,” she said. “My aim is to inject joy, lightness and humor along with happiness into each piece I make. If I can bring a smile to the faces of the viewers, then in my mind, my work is successful.”
For 20-plus years, Sue drew inspiration from Hopi and Zuni tribes of the Southwest. This love emerged while the couple lived in California and continued after their move to New Mexico.
Her focus changed dramatically after she and Harold traveled to Santa Barbara to visit family.
“My daughter took me antiquing, and I found a platter from Italy in blue and white, which I still have on my kitchen wall,” she said. “For the next 15 years, I did just blue and white. I just enjoyed it immensely, and it sold well. But now I’m doing more colorful pieces.”
The Masons decided on a more nomadic lifestyle once their nest was empty. “We decided that once our (two) children were out of school and on their own, that we would do some traveling,” she said.
This decision led them to moving to New Mexico, Maine and then - some 20 years ago - Monmouth. The Masons always found artistic inspiration in their surroundings.
She signed up for her first ceramics class in 1965, at a community college in Santa Rosa, California. It was here where Mason learned the basics of pottery: how to wedge clay, center it on a potter’s wheel and then form it into shape.
“I have lovingly had clay under my fingernails for over five decades now,” she said.
Her first studio was next to the water heater in the garage. Her second studio, this one in Carmel, was also in the garage, but even smaller. It was so small she had to open its doors in order to have room to work.
But it was in these studios where Mason began creating fetish pots, hand-burnished vessels decorated with objects inspired by Native American cultures of the Southwest.
Studio space has not been an issue since the Masons moved to Monmouth. The lower floor of the house is large enough for two studios. Harold’s space is larger, and this is where Sue teaches art students and hosts workshops.
“I love clay, and I love to let people know about how easy it is to work with clay and how forgiving it is,” she said. ▪
By Lance Masterson
For Trammart News
One of multi-talented artist Sue Mason’s most prized possessions is a signed photo from the world’s most beloved rodent.
This particular story takes place years ago when she and late husband Harold Mason, an acclaimed artist in his own right, lived in Carmel, California.
“Harold convinced me I should enter a piece in the Monterey (County) Fair, which I did. I got best of show for one of my pots. Disneyland, at this point, was going around California and taking the best of shows from every county fair. They were for an exhibit at Disneyland.” Which is why Mickey Mouse ventured north.
At the time, Sue Mason was teaching middle school art at a private school in Carmel Valley. One day the school held an assembly.
“Well, Mickey called me on stage, had my pot with its blue ribbon, the largest blue ribbon I ever saw, and gave me a kiss on my cheek. So that was my 15 minutes of fame, right?” she said.
“Later, he sent me an autograph copy of him holding my pot. Saying, you know, ‘Love, Mickey’.”
Flash forward some 40 years and Mason is known locally, in part, for her window exhibits at River Gallery in Independence. One of her pieces was included in the gallery’s “Wild Women - Celebrating Women” art show that ended Tuesday.
Mason has produced paintings, etchings, prints and other forms during her long career. She is also known for making, collecting and redecorating chairs. In addition, she has ventured into the Day of the Dead tradition by crafting a Tree of Life, figures and other related items.
Still, Mason is best known for her ceramics. Local art lovers may also have seen her work at Cannon Gallery at Western Oregon University.
“In the fall of 2018, Harold and I engaged as an artist couple in our first collaborative show of work” at the Cannon Gallery, she stated. “It was a magical moment for me … Never had we exhibited as an artist team before.”
Mason’s ceramics aren’t only beautiful, they’re practical.
“I make functional art. Everything from tea pots to sugar bowls,” she said, noting one man came up to Harold during one of her shows and told him, “I have my morning cereal in one of your (wife’s) bowls every morning.”
Mason’s high-fire porcelain ware is influenced by the folk pottery and Faience traditions of Portugal, France and Italy. Her painting style is influenced by two masters.
“My watercolor painting style is inspired by my love of the art works of Raoul Dufy and Henri Matisse,” she elaborated. “Duffy, with his free and easy brushstrokes and gentle color, was my most dominant influence.” Mason works primarily on the potter’s wheel and generally makes one-of-a-kind pieces.
“Each of my work is hand-thrown and hand painted directly on the finished forms,” she said. “My aim is to inject joy, lightness and humor along with happiness into each piece I make. If I can bring a smile to the faces of the viewers, then in my mind, my work is successful.”
For 20-plus years, Sue drew inspiration from Hopi and Zuni tribes of the Southwest. This love emerged while the couple lived in California and continued after their move to New Mexico.
Her focus changed dramatically after she and Harold traveled to Santa Barbara to visit family.
“My daughter took me antiquing, and I found a platter from Italy in blue and white, which I still have on my kitchen wall,” she said. “For the next 15 years, I did just blue and white. I just enjoyed it immensely, and it sold well. But now I’m doing more colorful pieces.”
The Masons decided on a more nomadic lifestyle once their nest was empty. “We decided that once our (two) children were out of school and on their own, that we would do some traveling,” she said.
This decision led them to moving to New Mexico, Maine and then - some 20 years ago - Monmouth. The Masons always found artistic inspiration in their surroundings.
She signed up for her first ceramics class in 1965, at a community college in Santa Rosa, California. It was here where Mason learned the basics of pottery: how to wedge clay, center it on a potter’s wheel and then form it into shape.
“I have lovingly had clay under my fingernails for over five decades now,” she said.
Her first studio was next to the water heater in the garage. Her second studio, this one in Carmel, was also in the garage, but even smaller. It was so small she had to open its doors in order to have room to work.
But it was in these studios where Mason began creating fetish pots, hand-burnished vessels decorated with objects inspired by Native American cultures of the Southwest.
Studio space has not been an issue since the Masons moved to Monmouth. The lower floor of the house is large enough for two studios. Harold’s space is larger, and this is where Sue teaches art students and hosts workshops.
“I love clay, and I love to let people know about how easy it is to work with clay and how forgiving it is,” she said. ▪
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