Focused on starting a news-reporting operation in Philomath during the fall of 2020, I wasn’t sure at the time if the idea would work out in terms of sustainability.
Should the news site I create have a paywall? If not, will community members see value in what I’m doing and offer money? And what about trying to sell advertising? I mean, I’m not a salesman!
After about 2-1/2 months putting together a business plan and preparing for a launch, the Philomath News went online at midnight on Nov. 30, 2020. A few days ago, I marked the end of the third year in operation and am on my way into the fourth.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if this news reporting project would be able to make it. I had a lot of good vibes from folks who had appreciated my work with the Philomath Express, which was shut down by the Corvallis Gazette-Times and parent company Lee Enterprises in September 2020. But that was a newspaper that you could hold in your hands and sit down to catch up on what’s going on in a traditional way. If your kid’s name showed up in a sports story, you could cut it out to be included in a scrapbook. Would a digital news site actually work?
Despite my hesitancy, I decided to go forward with the project. Coming off a frustrating experience, I really didn’t want to just go to another newspaper and wait to be laid off again while possibly needing to relocate my family (which really never was on the table — my wife has an awesome job). In my mid-50s at the time, I also wasn’t too thrilled about continuing to work for someone else. I mean, sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard you work or how much you care, businesses make bottom-line decisions that don’t take the impact on employees into account.
The biggest reason, however, came down to Philomath itself. This is the community I had always been searching for through various stops in life. The small-town feel, the schools and most of all, the people, were among the boxes we could check that were important to us. Figuring out a way to stay here was a priority.
Several people in the community at launch immediately signed up for “voluntary memberships” to bring revenue into this venture. This is the time of the year when my original members that came on board in late 2020 come up for their annual renewal. I’m very relieved that most see the value in what I’m doing and don’t hesitate to continue to contribute.
I currently have 253 members that pay through monthly or annual contributions. In the beginning, I calculated that 300 members would put me in the neighborhood of sustainability. The paying members come and go but I’m inching closer and closer to the original goal.
So, here we are embarking on the fourth year. Thank you, Philomath.
2. Decision on Muir
Local businessman and former high school coach Troy Muir will not be allowed to help with the Warriors boys basketball program this season.
Philomath Superintendent of Schools Susan Halliday’s decision from earlier this fall was upheld through an appeal process that involved the Philomath School Board’s review of policy to make a determination. Rick Wells, board chair, met with Halliday on Nov. 17 and he later sent a letter dated Nov. 27 to Muir about the decision to not hear the appeal.
Muir told the Philomath News Friday that he’s not ready to comment.
Muir had appealed Halliday’s decision to the Philomath School Board during a Nov. 16 meeting in a room packed with supporters. Muir mentioned that he had over 350 signatures of those who wanted to see him return to coaching at PHS. Three other individuals also spoke during the meeting’s public comments period to voice their support.
Muir, who owns Marys Peak True Value and other businesses in town, was the PHS head football coach in 2016 when a hazing controversy surfaced following a summer camp at Camp Rilea. Six players admitted to misdemeanor harassment charges with incidents that had involved 11 freshmen. A volunteer assistant was cited for misdemeanor second-degree criminal mistreatment. Muir did not face any charges.
Halliday said this week that she has heard from individuals supporting Muir and also from families of the hazing victims, as well as general community members.
During his Nov. 16 talk with the board, Muir mentioned that he has been cleared to volunteer at his children’s schools. Halliday said this week that any volunteer responsibility must be vetted.
“For instance, while a volunteer may be selected by teachers to chaperone on a field trip, that same volunteer may not automatically insert themselves into classroom support,” Halliday said. “This is dependent upon teacher-administrator determination. Another example might be a classroom volunteer who cannot automatically insert themselves into volunteering in the school office. As a result, volunteerism is specific to need, request and fit.”
Among his parent volunteering activities, Muir was involved with the football program in 2021 and 2022 with game film responsibilities. In July, he helped a school district staff member with a summer conditioning program that involved PHS and Philomath Youth Activities Club athletes.
Muir has been involved with coaching youth sports, including football with PYAC and basketball with high school-level tournament teams. Halliday pointed out that neither of those situations have direct connections with the school or district.
3. DEQ penalty
A Philomath company was among the 17 that were issued penalties in October for environmental violations, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality reported.
NWFF Environmental was assessed a civil penalty of $3,600 “for transporting hazardous waste without a manifest,” according to the Oregon DEQ’s penalty notice to the company on Oct. 5.
The incident involved moving 1,064 pounds of fire debris in May 2022 to the Philomath property without the manifest, according to Oregon Environmental Quality Commission documents. The fire debris was stored at the facility for nearly two months until it was transferred to the permitted facility, the document stated.
In addition, DEQ cited NWFF without penalty for “failing to immediately clean up a spill of oil, and for storing hazardous waste without a permit, at your facility in Philomath.”
Documents show that the spill involved mineral oil on a gravel waste accumulation area in June 2022 that had not been cleaned up.
DEQ reported that NWFF Environmental responded effectively to the violations, “including your prompt clean-up of the contaminated soils after DEQ’s inspection, and disposing of the illegally-stored hazardous waste off-site to a permitted facility, with accompanying hazardous waste manifest.”
In all, DEQ’s list of 17 civil penalties in October added up to $305,021 — the largest fine being $106,778 that went to the Winchester Water Control District and TerraFirma Foundation Repair for water quality violations during Winchester Dam repairs near Roseburg.
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).
