Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs Weekly Digest Bulletin • Highway 58 Herald

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ODVA Advisory Committee to Hold In-Person & Virtual Meeting in June
05/08/2023

The next meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be held Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in person at Rogue Community College, 3345 Redwood Highway in Grants Pass, Conference Room H-2, and via Zoom. The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m.

The committee is made up of veterans appointed by the governor to provide counsel on veteran issues and represent veteran concerns across Oregon. Its nine members serve in a vital advisory role to the director and staff of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

ODVA’s Reports to the Advisory Committee are available to the public on the ODVA website: https://issuu.com/odva/stacks/38107bb40c054695831edf5634865ca4

This meeting is being held both in person and virtually. The public is invited to attend.

To Attend by Zoom:

You will need to pre-register using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAucu2hpz4oGtC0nE6b06UImjyHcgMSbxQe

Pre-registration is required. Once pre-registered, you will receive the meeting link.

Join by Zoom via Telephone: Dial 1 (253) 215-8782. When prompted, enter the meeting ID 843 5499 5204# and password/participant ID: 570698#

Town Hall:

There will be a Town Hall at the end of the business meeting in which participants will be invited to ask questions of the committee and director. This time is set aside for individuals to bring up broader veteran community issues. Members of the community are also invited to submit written public comments to the committee by emailing [email protected].

More information can be found online at www.oregon.gov/odva/connect/pages/advisory-committee.aspx or to contact the Advisory Committee, please email [email protected].

YouTube:

This meeting will be recorded and placed on ODVA’s YouTube channel at

www.youtube.com/channel/UCAQVavs9KmvDeJ42ySFtY8A/videos.

Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs to Host Statewide Memorial Day Event in Salem
05/12/2023

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs will host Oregon’s annual Statewide Memorial Day Ceremony in person at 11 a.m., Monday, May 29, at the Oregon World War II Memorial located on the grounds of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.

The event will honor the nation’s fallen service members and include remarks from ODVA Deputy Director Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels, veteran leaders and state dignitaries, along with a color guard ceremony, performance of the national anthem, and the laying of a wreath followed by the playing of “Taps.”

“On Memorial Day, we remember and honor the service members of all branches and eras of service who paid the ultimate price to preserve and defend the freedoms of this nation,” said ODVA Director Kelly Fitzpatrick. “This year’s event will also include guest speakers who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom in remembrance of 111 fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen, airwomen, and marines who did not return home to Oregon, as this year observes the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War.”

The statewide event will be emceed by ODVA LGBTQ+ Veterans Coordinator and Iraq War Marine veteran Ian Michael. Director Kelly Fitzpatrick will honor fallen service members at Memorial Day events in Brookings and Gold Beach in southern Oregon.

The Oregon WWII Memorial is located on the corner of Church and Court Street Northeast. Limited seating will be available. Attendees are welcome to bring their own seating for the park setting and are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather. For those unable to attend in-person, the event will also be livestreamed beginning at 11 a.m. on ODVA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/odvavet.

Veteran Bill Digest: May 12, 2023

The 2023 Oregon Legislative Session began January 17, 2023. Weekly during Session, ODVA emails the Veteran Bill Digest to subscribers which contains information and links to new and existing bills impacting the veteran community. More information to track bills and follow committee hearings is provided below. The Veteran Bill Digests can also be viewed and downloaded on ODVA’s legislative webpage along with an opportunity to subscribe to these emails.

Download Latest Bill Digest

\Senate and House Veteran Committees
Veteran-related legislation is handled primarily by the House and Senate Committees on veterans. View the new committees homepages here:

Senate Committee On Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs
House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans
More 2023 Legislative Session information can be found online. Track bills, receive committee agendas, submit or read hearing testimony and more.

42nd Annual Wheelchair Games to be Held in Portland July 4-9, 2023

The 42nd National Veterans Wheelchair Games is coming to the Pacific Northwest this summer! This year’s edition of the Games will beheld in Portland, Ore. from July 4-9, 2023. The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is open to the public this year.

VA staff interested in volunteering during regular tour-of-duty must reach out to supervisor for guidance and approval. Volunteer registration has opened to the general public online at https://42wheelchairgames.my-trs.com/.

Regular exercise – including training for and participating in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games – can help veterans with disabilities:

• Maintain body weight
• Combat chronic health conditions such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes
• Gain energy
• Sleep better
• Improve mood and self-esteem
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Enjoy new experiences and new friendships
• Counter the stigma of disability
• Increase their likelihood of employment, with less absenteeism and more productivity

The goal of the event is for veterans with disabilities to feel empowered to apply what they learn at the Wheelchair Games to their daily lives. The experience can also help them meet therapist goals such as managing self-care while traveling, navigating new environments, and improving self-confidence.

Volunteer registration is open and any inquiries regarding volunteer work can be addressed to Jeff McLeer at [email protected]. To learn more about the Mission & History of the Games, visit https://wheelchairgames.org/about/mission-history/.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is co-presented each year by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Paralyzed Veterans of America. Both organizations offer programs that help veterans with disabilities increase their independence, health, and quality of life through wheelchair sports and recreation. Veterans are often first exposed to adaptive sports through their local VA Medical Center or PVA Chapter.

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Baseball to hold 16th Annual Patriotic Tribute on July 4th
05/18/2023

The 16th Annual Patriotic Tribute will be held July 4, 2023, at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer. This year’s tribute features Chief Master Sergeant Denise Phillips singing the National Anthem live from Africa.

Complimentary tickets will be available to veterans and their immediate families that wish to attend the performance and the game. To secure a ticket, email Jerry Howard at [email protected]. You must include in the email your final or current rank, full name, and the number of tickets needed for you and your immediate family.

Gates will open at 4:30 p.m., with the patriotic ceremony happening at 6 p.m. First pitch for the game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and a fireworks show will follow after the conclusion of the game for those that wish to stay and watch.

To learn more, contact Jerry Howard at [email protected] or call 503-779-4088.

Veteran Bill Digest: May 19, 2023

Download Latest Bill Digest

Senate and House Veteran Committees
Veteran-related legislation is handled primarily by the House and Senate Committees on veterans. View the new committees homepages here:

Help Oregon Plan for Broadband Access and Digital Equity

The Oregon Broadband Office is committed to robust community engagement. Lend your voice and expertise to ensure that the State of Oregon Broadband and Digital Equity Initiatives deliver reliable, affordable, high-speed internet, and digital equity for all Oregonians.

Information and Input Opportunity

The Oregon Broadband Office wants to hear from you about how your internet experience impacts your ability to work, learn, or access services.

The Oregon Broadband Office will apply for federal funding to provide high-speed, reliable internet access in areas that need it most. We are preparing a five-year action plan that describes how we will use this funding, which is why we want to hear from you. We’d like to hear from you about your experiences with the Internet and the devices you use to access the Internet, such as computers, tablets, smartphones, etc.

The Oregon Broadband Office will host 12 community meetings across Oregon to present information on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and solicit input for Oregon’s broadband planning, including information about barriers, needs and opportunities related to high-speed internet access. Sharing your story will help us better understand how to improve broadband internet service in your community. Please plan to attend one of the following meetings that remain:

You must register separately for each meeting you plan to attend using the registration link below. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive your confirmation email.

Learn more and register for a meeting in your community: bit.ly/InternetAccessMtg

Learn more about the Help Oregon Plan for Broadband Access and Digital Equity here.