The Salem City Club will present its fourth program of the 2020 Informed Voter Series on October 23. The program will be a debate on the pros and cons of Measure 107. Portland public interest attorney Dan Meek, who represents Honest Elections Oregon, will speak in support of the measure. Kyle Markley, a member of the Oregon Libertarian Party, will speak in opposition.
Campaign finance reform has been on the minds of Oregonians for years. A long history of actions and non-actions has designated Oregon as one of the five states that places no limits on how much people can give to campaigns. The central reason for this designation is a 1997 Oregon Supreme Court opinion that said campaign contributions amounted to free speech, and so could not be limited.
Dan Meek, a graduate of Stanford Law School, has practiced law in Portland since 1987. Before that, he was a law clerk to Chief U.S. District Judge James Burns, legal counsel at the California Energy Commission, and the staff director of two subcommittees in the U.S. Congress. Meek represents groups and individuals that sponsor ballot measures in Oregon, including Honest Elections Oregon, Common Cause, League of Women Voters, STAR Voting, FairElections Oregon, groups advocating the creation of People's Utility Districts (PUDs), Citizens for Safe Water, and others. On election law matters, he has represented groups in court and before the Oregon Legislature and agencies, including Common Cause, the Oregon Progressive Party, and the Pacific Green Party. Meek and colleague Linda Williams are co-founders and co-chairs of the Independent Party of Oregon.
Kyle Markley is a Libertarian political activist and five-time candidate for elected office. He serves on the Libertarian Party of Oregon's board of directors and founded the Statements for Liberty PAC, which helps Libertarian candidates get published in the Voters' Pamphlet. Markley was a member of the 2015-2017 Joint Interim Task Force on Campaign Finance Reform. Markley's educational background is in computer science, and he has worked in an engineering role at Intel for more than 20 years.
The Informed Voter Series will take place on Zoom. To access the webinar, go to https://salemcityclub.com/, click the tab that says “Events,” click “Register” for any of the Informed Voter Series events listed, and once you register, your spot will be reserved for the event. You will then be sent a link for the Zoom Webinar. Meetings are free for members and $5 for nonmembers.
Here is the upcoming program schedule:
- November 13, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Election Wrap-Up and Analysis with political scientist Dr. Ed Dover
- December 11, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: The Year in Poetry - Featuring Salem Poets and Their Work.
Clackamas, OR (Oct. 5, 2020) –Oregon ranks as one of the worst states for mental health. A Sept. 2020 study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that depression is now three times more prevalent in the population than pre-COVID. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the mental health of 53% of adults in the U.S. has been negatively impacted due to the worry and stress caused by the pandemic. Hoping to provide more treatment options, Active Recovery TMS, an Oregon-based mental health clinic specializing in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat depression, is opening its fifth location in Clackamas.
Active Recovery TMS is currently accepting patients at its 10151 SE Sunnyside Road location, next to Clackamas Town Center. The clinic will provide people struggling with severe depression with a valuable option for managing their mental health. TMS can reduce symptoms of depression or bring it under control with minimal side effects. It is a Food and Drug Administration-cleared treatment covered by many insurances, including Medicare, the VA, Tri-Care/Tri-West, and the Oregon Health Plan.
"TMS is particularly helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression with response and remission rates that are significantly better than traditional antidepressants," says Jonathan Horey, M.D. Chief Medical Officer of Active Recovery TMS. "This non-invasive treatment has been shown to help patients struggling with depression, particularly those who have not found relief with antidepressants, talk therapy, or have found the former intolerable side effects."
Active Recovery TMS currently has four locations across the Portland metro area and greater Willamette Valley. This year they opened clinics in Hillsboro, Tigard, and, most recently, Salem. The demand for the clinic's services continues to increase. This year, the practice has doubled its size, adding 12 new hires, including psychiatric nurse practitioners and technicians.
"We already have people from the southeast part of the metro area driving to our other clinics for treatment," said David Grano, CEO. "This will be a welcome relief for many people who can continue their depression treatment even closer to home."
The clinic works with referring providers to design treatment plans. As Dr. Horey explains, "No one treatment will have the same effect on all patients. While TMS treatment alone may be successful for some, it may be part of a standard treatment regimen of medication, psychotherapy, or a combination. Because we are providing TMS services exclusively, our goal is to work with each patient's medical provider to find the right balance and achieve the desired outcome."
TMS uses a highly focused, pulsed magnetic field (similar to an MRI) to target the brain regions involved in regulating mood. Each treatment is approximately 20 minutes. While antidepressant medications may affect sleep or cognition, TMS causes minimal side effects in a small percentage of patients. The therapy is administered on an outpatient basis so that patients can resume their normal activities immediately.
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S., with an estimated 17.3 million adults (7.1% of all U.S. adults) suffering from at least one major depressive episode in 2017. Based on an internal review of patient outcomes, 79% of Active Recovery TMS patients have shown a measurable decrease in depression symptoms. These results are reported on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9, a commonly used depression scale), and one-third achieve control of their depression and are free from symptoms. These numbers echo more rigorous national studies conducted in clinical settings.
About Active Recovery TMS: Active Recovery TMS clinic seeks to provide a safe and effective FDA-cleared treatment for depression with transcranial magnetic stimulation. It is a compelling option for those who have not had success with standard depression treatments like medication and/or psychotherapy. Active Recovery TMS has been treating patients since Jan. 2017. Call 503-966-1132 or activerecoverytms.com for more information.
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The Salem City Club will present its third program of the 2020 Informed Voter Series on October 9. The program will be a debate amongst the two candidates running for Marion County Commissioner, Position 3.
Given the two emergency declarations for COVID-19 and wildfires, Marion County government is a major player in disaster preparedness and relief. In November, voters will have an opportunity to elect one of the three county commissioners who oversee our county government.
On the Republican side is Danielle Bethell. Danielle is a Marion County native, a small business owner, and the current Executive Director of the Keizer Chamber of Commerce. She is also on the Salem-Keizer School Board. Danielle graduated from McKay High School and received a degree from Oregon State University.
Ashley Carson Cottingham is running as a Democrat. She is a fifth-generation Oregonian and was born and raised in Bend. She moved to Marion County over six years ago from Portland. Ashley received her bachelor’s from the University of Oregon and a law degree from Vermont Law School. She has worked for two U.S. Senate committees, a non-profit organization, and, most recently, the Director of the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities for the State of Oregon.
The Informed Voter Series will take place on Zoom. To access the webinar, go to https://salemcityclub.com/, click the tab that says “Events,” click “Register” for any of the Informed Voter Series events listed, and once you register, your spot will be reserved for the event. You will then be sent a link for the Zoom Webinar. Meetings are free for members and $5 for nonmembers.
Here is the upcoming program schedule:
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October 23, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Ballot Measure on Campaign Finance, Dan Meeks, Honest Elections, and Kyle Markley, Oregon Libertarian Party
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November 13, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Election Wrap-Up and Analysis with political scientist Dr. Ed Dover
Salem City Club - Candidates for Oregon Senate District 10
The Salem City Club will present its second program of the 2020 Informed Voter Series on October 2. The program will be a debate amongst the three candidates running to represent Oregon Senate District 10.
As you may well remember, there was a hard-fought and close race for this position in 2016 between incumbent Jackie Winters and Reverend Deb Patterson. Patterson is now coming back for another run at the seat. Incumbent Senator Denyc Boles was appointed to this position and is now running for the first time. Finally, Taylor Rickey is a political newcomer who hopes that he has what the district voters want.
Fridays in October, the series continues with debates and discussion of ballot measures. The series will conclude on November 13 with a post-election analysis from political scientist Dr. Ed Dover.
The Informed Voter Series will take place on Zoom. To access the webinar, go to https://salemcityclub.com/, click the tab that says “Events,” click “Register” for any of the Informed Voter Series events listed, and once you register, your spot will be reserved for the event. You will then be sent a link for the Zoom Webinar. The first two meetings for nonmembers are free.
Here is the program schedule:
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October 2, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Candidates for Senate District 10: Deb Patterson (Democrat), Denyc Boles. (Republican) and Taylor Rickey (Libertarian)
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October 9, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Candidates for Marion County Commissioner, Position 3: Ashley Carson Cottingham (Democrat) and Danielle Bethell (Republican)
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October 23, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Ballot Measure on Campaign Finance, Dan Meeks, Honest Elections, and Kyle Markley, Oregon Libertarian Party
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November 13, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Election Wrap-Up and Analysis with political scientist Dr. Ed Dover.