Spanning the State: Because...Oregon.

Carla Axtman

It can be easy for those who live in the different areas of our state to forget that there's important stuff happening elsewhere Oregon. It's my view that we're better when we can see the struggles or share the laughs with our fellow Oregonians who reside outside our regular boundaries. It's a way to keep the ties that bind us more strong and perhaps a way to foster a greater understanding.

I hope as you continue to read this weekly missive, you'll consider sharing it. These stories are part of the fabric of our state and I think we need to know one another better.

Thanks for reading.

And now, let's Span the State!

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Commercial real estate and development companies are great big tax delinquents in Washington County. Plaza Park Offices is in the biggest hole, owing more than $1 million. The company is managed by Howard N. Dietrich, who also owes $1.1 million on property in Multnomah County. NB-Coral Commons is next on the list, owing $172,456 in pre-2013 taxes on a cluster of homes in Tigard. Renaissance Custom Homes owes $172,272 in back taxes on a 13-acre property in Sherwood.

And before we leave Washington County here's a little note on the Beaverton School District. For the fourth year in a row, the District is leading the state in the number of homeless students. Not about Washington County but still an incredibly important read on homelessness, this dispatch from Portland Mercury News Editor Denis Therault is a terrific rundown of what's been happening in the City of Portland around the issue of homelessness.

Agriculture is very important to Oregon. So what's the next big thing for one of the biggest economic drivers in our state? Drones. So important in fact that drone technology may actually draw engineers and software developers to the areas of our state hoping to become the host for the industry. Both Yamhill County and the Pendleton area are fighting to get their business.

A teacher who used to substitute in the Coos Bay School District has filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the district. Laura Bellinger claims that she was not invited to interview for two open positions at Millicoma Intermediate School because of her age and that two younger, less qualified people were hired instead. Bellinger is asking for $50,000 and payment for attorney fees and court costs. The school district is seeking to have the claim dismissed.

By Carla Axtman Dec. 02, 2013