On May 20, the final ballots will be cast for the special district elections, with Gales Creek-area voters selecting candidates to take seats on the Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District board and the Forest Grove School Board.
To vote, ensure your signed ballot is returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 or postmarked by the USPS by May 20. A drop site is located in Forest Grove in front of the Forest Grove City Library on Pacific Avenue and at the Banks Public Library on the Market Street driveway. Postmarked ballots received after May 27 will not be counted, the Washington County Elections Division said.
Because ballots mailed up to the day of the election are counted, the results of close races may not be known until several days after the election.
Initial results for races will be published online at results.oregonvotes.gov. The Washington County Elections Division plans to post initial results at 8 p.m., 10 p.m., and midnight the night of the election, with additional reporting dates following until the results are certified June 16.
The Gales Creek Journal sent a brief questionnaire with three questions to candidates. Several answered; their responses are included below. Where candidates did not answer, we have linked their voters’ pamphlet entries if available.
Here’s who’s running.
Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District
The Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District, despite the name, is not in Forest Grove, but in the ring of rural communities surrounding the city. Gales Creek, Dilley, Verboort, parts of Hillside, and other dots on the map are part of the district.
Two open seats this year are uncontested, meaning, barring unforeseen circumstances, each candidate who filed will win Tuesday night.
In Position 1, Benjamin Otto, a Dilley-area resident will win election to the seat.
Gales Creek Journal: Why have you decided to run for the board?
Benjamin Otto: As a lifelong resident of Forest Grove, I have deep roots in this community. My wife and I have raised our family here, and our parents continue to call this area home. I am invested in ensuring Forest Grove Fire & Rescue (FGF&R) provides top-tier emergency services while making the best use of our resources.
I have served as a member of the FGRFPD budget committee for 8 years now. During that time I’ve been able to both serve the District in a small way, learn how it operates, and recognize the needs it has as the community has grown and changed. With two Fire Board Directors not seeking reelection this year, it is a great time and opportunity for me to serve in a new and larger way.
In short, I am dedicated to our community and committed to helping provide excellent service to them from our local Fire Department.
GCJ: What experience or perspective do you bring that you believe will benefit the district?
BO: This year marks 30 years I’ve worked in the fire service, 25 of them as a professional firefighter. I bring extensive experience in the industry and a strong understanding of fire department operations. Early in my career I worked at two small fire departments, both similar in many ways to FGF&R. For the past 23 years I’ve worked for TVFR, a large organization serving various cities and rural areas. During those three decades I’ve been afforded the opportunity to work in a variety of roles and settings within the fire service. I have been a back seat Firefighter, an Apparatus Operator assigned to a rescue unit, fire engine, and a ladder truck. I’ve worked on an ambulance, taught the science and mechanics of firefighting, and taught emergency driving. Serving on the Fire Board is an opportunity for me to draw on the experience and knowledge I have gained and give back to the profession I love while working to strengthen emergency response for our community.
GCJ: What are one or two key issues you hope to focus on if elected?
BO: As a Fire Board member, I will work to ensure our community has access to reliable, efficient emergency services. My leadership will focus on improving response capabilities, supporting firefighters, and maintaining the high standards of excellence that FGF&R is known for.
Managing Resources Efficiently: Forest Grove’s population has grown significantly, increasing demand on our single fire station. When multiple calls occur simultaneously, response times can be delayed as neighboring departments step in to assist. Strategic resource management is crucial to meeting the community’s evolving needs.
Improving Recruitment & Retention: Attracting and retaining highly qualified firefighters is becoming more challenging. Open positions lead to staffing shortages, impacting both response times and the well-being of our dedicated personnel.
In Position 3, Neal Hammond, a Gales Creek resident will win election to the seat. Hammond did not fill out a questionnaire or submit an entry to the voters’ pamphlet. Hammond was previously a training officer for the Banks Fire District.
Forest Grove School Board
Three positions on the Forest Grove School District were open; each attracted at least two candidates.
Position 1
Nicholas Hafez responded to a questionnaire with a written statement also included in an entry in the Washington County Voters’ Pamphlet on page 13.
Brisa Franco responded to a three-question questionnaire.
GCJ: Why have you decided to run for the school board?
Brisa Franco: I believe every student deserves a clear and supportive path toward higher
education or career opportunities. I am uniquely positioned to help our district create more pathways for just that. I am a recent graduate of Forest Grove High School, George Fox University, and a current law student at Lewis & Clark. As a first generation college student, reaching higher education was not easily accessible. Navigating these challenges in non-diverse spaces led me to understand how the Forest Grove School District can better support its students, in particular those who are not typically represented in places of power and higher education. I am running for Forest Grove School Board to lend my voice to representing all students in this district, to provide resources to students interested in pursuing higher education or career opportunities, and to support teachers in the incredible work they do every day.
GCJ: What experience or perspective do you bring that you believe will benefit the district?
BF: As a law student I understand the uncertainty that can come from the school
system and the confusion that accompanies navigating the education system. As a first generation student, I have had to overcome barriers of discrimination, imposter syndrome and discouragement in the education system. From these struggles I have learned to persevere, connect with my community for support and use my voice to advocate for myself. I wish to use my knowledge to help implement opportunities and empower students to overcome the barriers that plague the education system.
GCJ: What are one or two key issues you hope to focus on if elected?
BF: Our students need support and safety in their daily lives to be successful. I
believe that listening to student needs is essential to creating a safe and inclusive environment, and I will strive to make changes that support our students’ lived needs. I would also like to supplement student success and engagement by connecting students with mentorship opportunities to explore their interests and career options. I will prioritize the needs of teachers and staff of the Forest Grove School District to support them in their daily challenges.
Position 2
Two candidates filed for position 2: Peter Truax and Jodi Blue. Both responded to a questionnaire.
Peter Truax
GCJ: Why have you decided to run for the school board?
Peter Truax: I decided to run for the School Board at the request of a number of people. They felt I still had something to offer the people of Forest Grove, Cornelius and the rest of the School District. After much soul-searching, I decided to take the plunge. I also think there are some educational tenets that have been put at risk, especially on a national basis, and I feel I have something to offer in support of those in Salem and Washington, DC, who are very concerned over the current path of education.
GCJ: What experience or perspective do you bring that you believe will benefit the district?
PT: I bring 22 years of local governmental experience to the educational arena. I also have 28 years under my belt as a teacher/administrator. I think my perspective as a teacher, administrator and parent in the district will help. My wife, who taught for 34 years in Forest Grove, and I raised two sons who, we feel, benefited greatly from their experiences at Harvey Clarke, Tom McCall, and Forest Grove High School.
GCJ: What are one or two key issues you hope to focus on if elected?
PT: My overall goal is to maintain and articulate the importance of a free, appropriate public education. In order to make choices we have the freedom to make in our country, it stands to reason that we have a properly informed electorate. We may not all arrive at the same conclusions, but at least we have the opportunity to base our decisions on an education open to all. Based on that, my key issue is to provide an education that fits us all. That includes the college-bound student, the student who wants to prepare for a vocation post high school, and those who want to pursue such interests as the arts, or agriculture. A public school district must try to reach and connect with all of its students. And l would also want to insure that in order to keep students as healthy as possible, the breakfast and lunch programs continue. I have said in the past that if a student is constantly hungry, or underfed, the importance of parsing sentences takes a backseat.
Jodi Blue
Gales Creek Journal: Why have you decided to run for the school board?
Jodi Blue: Ultimately, I am running for a seat on the school board because I have great esteem for our educators, care about the well-being of the Forest Grove community, and our success rests on the strength of neighborhood schools. I can commit the time needed to contribute towards the evaluation and execution of practices that enable FGSD to prepare all children for lifelong success. To maintain a system where all students feel safe and valued, Respect for the multiplicity of perspectives our community holds is imperative. I am a good candidate for this position because I am empathetic to the diversity of perspectives students bring into our schools. I am committed to promoting understanding and creating space rather than adhering to a dominant narrative or historical tradition. I believe the Forest Grove community has a shared sense of purpose, and by working together, we can provide an environment where every student has the opportunity and support they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
GCJ: What experience or perspective do you bring that you believe will benefit the district?
JB: My perspective about education is informed in two primary ways: I am a parent of two children in their eighth year as students of Forest Grove Schools, and I am a licensed elementary school and special education teacher. We have attended four neighborhood schools (kindergarten through 10th grades), accessed special education services, and participated in extracurricular activities. Their friendships allow me access to more experiences and perceptions than our own. I was employed in Forest Grove schools from 2017-2023, with classrooms in Cornelius, Joseph Gale, and Tom McCall elementary schools. I served as temporary Dean of Students at Joseph Gale in 2022 and was active on school and district committees. My professional experience began in Lake Oswego in 2005, and I am currently a teacher in Northwest Regional ESD. Before moving to Forest Grove, I taught in two other school districts and one education service district.
I remain in touch with former coworkers, so I understand some current conditions across the Portland Metro region. Perhaps most uniquely, I bring knowledge about the various educational settings in which students are served. As a special education teacher, I have led classrooms in residential mental health programs, day treatment/ separate public school settings, and self-contained special programs in comprehensive schools, in addition to providing resource room and push-in support to students with inclusion placements. As a seasoned educator, I have worked under many administrations and adapted to ever-changing mandates, budgets, and accountability measures. I maintain my love for this profession and belief in the children we serve.
GCJ: What are one or two key issues you hope to focus on if elected?
JB: I find it difficult to focus on only a few issues – education is complex, especially public education. Awareness of the interplay of factors is essential for the stability of the whole. I am passionate and reasonably knowledgeable about special education, and I want students and parents in this community to feel more supported. Navigating the spaces of inclusion and adequate accommodations is challenging for professionals, and it can be ostracizing and isolating for families. There is much to commend about FGSD in its equity efforts, and there are many growth opportunities where we can improve. The district’s maxims and the school board’s goals are good guidelines for continued efforts. Improved support for students with learning differences would improve outcomes for all students and help morale among educators. A related issue is the retention of qualified staff who support student services. Licensed pay in FGSD is in the higher range for the region, but that isn’t the case for our classified employees. Our classrooms are struggling to manage increasing needs without comparable professional support.
Position 3
Position 3 is the most crowded seat up for grabs, attracting three candidates. Two returned questionnaires.
James Strother
Gales Creek Journal: Why have you decided to run for the school board?
James Strother: During these uncertain times and due to the current political climate we are facing. I feel it’s necessary that we stand up as a community to protect the services we provide our students as well as the quality of education we offer.
GCJ: What experience or perspective do you bring that you believe will benefit the district?
JS: I have 5 years of past experience working with the FGSD. Firstly as an instructional assistant at Oak Grove Academy, then at Forest Grove High as the Transition Coordinator working closely with students transitioning from our therapeutic day program back to receiving their educational services full time at FGHS. Most recently I worked as a substitute in the district.
GCJ: What are one or two key issues you hope to focus on if elected?
JS: Currently many of the services our district provides are under attack. My main focus will be insuring that all staff and students have a voice. That we gather together as a community to insure ALL students feel welcomed, supported and safe at our schools
Madigan Shepherd
Gales Creek Journal: Why have you decided to run for the school board?
Madigan Shepherd: I am running because my skills as a communicator on the Committee For Community Engagement in Forest Grove would be beneficial to improving the education experience in the school district. I’m also concerned about the number of opportunities students have to gain valuable volunteer or internship experience that will help them on their career path.
GCJ: What experience or perspective do you bring that you believe will benefit the district?
MS: My education as a political science student equipped me with a firm knowledge of the political side of being on the school board. Combined with my experience on the Committee For Community Engagement I plan to use this knowledge to strengthen communication between the board, parents, teachers, and state government. I’ve experienced first hand in my volunteer work the importance of access to education and to ensure access to education we need to make sure our school board has effective communication so we can secure bonds and gain support for policies that benefit students.
GCJ: What are one or two key issues you hope to focus on if elected?
MS: One top priority of mine is to ensure there are plenty of volunteer/internship opportunities for our students. Internship experience not only helps you with your career, it also gives students more opportunity to find out what job best fits their interests. I will also focus on finding new ways to improve how effective the school board is at communication. There is always room to grow when it comes to effective communication.
Alma Lozano
Find Lozano’s statement in the Washington County Voters’ Pamphlet on page 15.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
