News from State Representative David Gomberg: Kids and Cats, a New Plate, and How to Maximize Your Vote

With the support of the Lions Clubs, we used the innovative SPOT device to screen students. With this handheld device, we can detect eight different vision issues in a matter of seconds. There is no need for an eye chart, which means the process is more inclusive. It reaches children who can’t read yet, children who are nonverbal, and children who don’t speak English as a first language. And importantly, the SPOT evaluates a student’s eyes from several feet away so it is no-touch and actually kind of fun. The kids just look at colored lights.

This is a really remarkable program. Classes line up and are in and out in about ten minutes. Five volunteers checked the entire school in under two hours! Each student had a random ID number which we entered into the SPOT. If a problem was noted, only the school nurse would know which student needs help.

Vision challenges in young students are often misdiagnosed as learning problems. I’m grateful to our local Lions for this important program and was pleased to participate once again.

What exactly is kitten season? Well, as winter draws to a close and the weather begins to warm, many unaltered female cats are in heat. Sixty days later they begin giving birth to litters of kittens.​

If you have cats as Susan and I do, I urge you to have them “fixed”. Rural communities often have to deal with feral or homeless cats. A look at this chart demonstrates how quickly a population can get out of control.

If you see kittens outside, here are some tips for what to do:

• Not all kittens need help. The best place for kittens is with their mother, so before you scoop up kittens you find outdoors, it is important to determine if they’re truly orphans or if mom is hiding or hunting nearby.
• Kittens under four weeks old cannot eat on their own and they also need to be manually stimulated to urinate and defecate. If mom is nearby, let her be the one to care for them until they are eight weeks old. Mom is their best chance of survival.
• Mom might be scared to come back if you’re watching her nest. Try leaving a ring of flour around the kittens and checking back after a few hours to see if you can see mom’s footprints.
• Once they’re old enough, humanely catch the family for spay/neuter surgery.
• An unaltered female cat can become pregnant at 4 months of age so spay your kitten!
• Spaying and neutering also reduces cat conflicts and helps to protect cats from diseases such as cancer of the reproductive systems.

Check with your local shelter, animal wellness originations or a local veterinarian. Many offer free or subsidized spay/neuter services. They may also have live animal traps you can borrow.

On a brisk and drizzly Tuesday last week, about 30 representatives, senators, and legislative staff joined farmers, fisherman, and foresters to tour the Working Lands of Tillamook County. I was pleased to invite colleagues from urban, valley, and eastern Oregon for a closer look at the Coast.

We visited hatcheries, forestlands, and a working dairy. And yes, I think programs like this help bridge that troubling divide. Later this summer, a similar tour of Lincoln County is planned.

Oregon experiences a higher rate of animal-vehicle collisions than any other West Coast state. Nearly 6,000 vehicles in Oregon crashed into wild animals last year. The average insurance cost from such collisions: $4,135.

Last session I sponsored HB 4130 which appropriated funds to Department of Transportation for wildlife corridor projects. Before the session ended, those monies were approved. And now in a separate program, you too can support wildlife and traffic safety with a new Oregon license plate.

The “Watch for Wildlife” license plate will be available for purchase at all DMV locations starting May 4, 2022. Plates can also be ordered when a vehicle is purchased at an Oregon dealership. For more information about Oregon specialty license plates and how to get your own Watch for Wildlife plate please visit www.oregon.gov/odot/dmv.

The plate raises funds for Oregon Wildlife Foundation through an additional $40 donation when DMV issues, renews or replaces the plates. This is in addition to any other fees that normally apply. I understand there will be an online auction for the first 20 plate numbers.

Wildlife move throughout their habitat for food, shelter, and to find mates. In that regard, I suppose they are much like people! The roads and highways crisscrossing Oregon make that a dangerous and sometimes fatal journey. Proceeds from the sale of this license plate are dedicated to projects that provide safe passage to wildlife of all kinds throughout Oregon.

I spent some time in Newport, filling a bag with bits of Styrofoam, plastic, plastic bags, marine rope, paper, and a lost shoe. I also carried a sheet of plywood filled with nails off the sand. Then I joined the Earth Day Celebration at City Hall.

I’ll join in and listen to two County Candidate Forums – one with the Lincoln City Chamber and another with Citizens for a Better Lincoln County. And I’ll attend several ribbon cuttings, receptions, and a gathering of community leaders in Yachats. I’ll finish the week next Sunday at Landscaping with Love who work to help get local fire survivors’ yards replanted with everything from grass and bulbs to trees and shrubs.

There is always something interesting or worthy to do in our large and diverse district. Please make the most of it! And with the Primary Election Voter pamphlet in your mailbox and ballots arriving in just a few days, please take a little time to well acquaint yourselves with local candidates and issues. And of course, remember to vote!

To get in touch with my legislative office, please e-mail