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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2015)
+LJK ¿ dHOLW\ WKDQNV +DSS\ )rLdD\ WKH 13WK FRIDAY EXTRA • 1C IN ONE EAR • 1B 143rd YEAR, No. 98 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 • WEEKEND EDITION ONE DOLLAR BoDWV VLW LdOH DV DOJDH WKrHDWHQV FrDE VHDVoQ B\ PHUONG LE Associated Press San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf typically bustles this time of year as workers prepare to haul millions of pounds of Dungeness crab that are a tradition at Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. But crab pots are sitting empty on docks, boats are idled and ¿ shermen are anxiously waiting for Califor- nia authorities to open the lucrative Dungeness crab season. California has delayed the Nov. 15 start of its commercial crab season af- ter ¿ nding dangerous levels of a tox- in in crabs. Of¿ cials in Oregon and Washington are testing crab samples and will decide soon whether to open its coastal season by Dec. 1 as planned. A massive bloom of microscop- ic algae — which produced a natural toxin called domoic acid that is harm- ful to wildlife and ¿ sh — in the 3aci¿ c Ocean is threatening the crab industry during a time when many ¿ shing out- ¿ ts make their most money. ,t’s also roiling coastal tourism and marine ecosystems. A closure along the entire West Coast would be a blow to the industry, which harvested nearly $170 million worth of Dungeness crab in 2014. “Everybody is counting on crab to make it, so this is pretty disappoint- ing,” said Larry Collins, president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Own- ers Association. “Whenever they test clean, we’ll go get them. ,’m very hopeful that it’s sooner than later.” No Fr\VWDO EDOO Experts say the warm conditions that set up the toxic algae bloom — while not attributed to climate change — does offer a picture of what’s to come as ocean temperatures are pro- jected to warm. Already, warmer ocean temperatures off New England have shaken up ¿ sheries there, con- tributing to the collapse of the region’s cod ¿ shery and the shift northward in See ALGAE, Page 9A SHINING LIGHT ON DISMAL NITCH Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Jim Sayce points to Eagle Cliff, a weathered cliff that shows up in the journals during the Corps of Discovery ’s five-day stay in November 1805 at Dismal Nitch. The sounds of falling pebbles along the cliff, the tidal patterns of the Columbia River and the location of two adjacent streams led Sayce to this conclusion. Local historian believes we are closer to ¿ nding the explorers’ site D B\ KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian ,SMAL N,TCH, Wash. — Historians know the Lewis and Clark expedition weathered brutal storms two centuries ago when they reached the rocky cliffs off the Lower Columbia River, described as Dismal Nitch in Capt. William Clark’s journal. The 33-person expedition was pinned down Nov. 10 to 15, 1805, along the north shore east of 3oint El- lice. The exact location of the expedi- tion’s stay is still up for debate. Historian Jim Sayce, the Wash- ington State Historical Society’s liai- son to the Lewis and Clark National Historical 3ark, has studied the loca- tion for nearly two decades collecting clues from journals, maps, tidal charts and photographs to pinpoint the loca- tion. Sayce, and many other historians, have faced challenges visually recon- structing the area since State Route 401 was built in 158. ,n addition, few maps and photographs exist showing how the shoreline appeared in the early 1800s. “The trick is to ¿ nd those features that don’t change,” Sayce said. Through his research, Sayce be- lieves the Corps of Discovery camped in Hungry Harbor, east of the Dismal Nitch Rest Area. Other historians put the campsite closer to rest area near 3oint Ellice. Sayce will discuss the research and debate of Dismal Nitch during a talk at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Netel River Room of the Fort Clatsop visitor center. The talk, “Dismal Nitch: Shining a Bright Light into the Dark Coves of History,” is part of the ,n Their Footsteps series, sponsored by Lewis and Clark Nation- al Historical 3ark. For the program, Sayce said, he plans to describe the early research into the expedition’s stay in the Lower Co- lumbia region. He will segue into how there is no unanimous opinion about Dismal Nitch, although historians have analyzed the area for at least 60 years. “When you don’t have collective opinion, it hasn’t been fully analyzed,” Sayce said. “,’m trying to look at it like , have never seen it before, admitting it’s been 200 years.” See SITE, Page 7A Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Jim Sayce stands on a rock that he believes was in place when Lewis and Clark made their stay at Dismal Nitch in 1805. The introduction of added rock and the construction of U.S. Highway 101 has made it difficult at times to find landmarks that help identify where Lewis and Clark stayed. Changing lives one *oY. BroZQ ordHrV WKLrdSDrW\ blue jacket at a time rHYLHZ oI ODOT PDQDJHPHQW FFA opens door to world of agriculture for students B\ TIM HEARDEN Capital Press Emily Kraxberger didn’t grow up on a farm. Her fam- ily had 2 acres in Canby near 3ortland, where they had a small vegetable garden. But as a teenager in high school, Kraxberger was drawn to agriculture class- es such as À oral science and landscaping. Through those classes, she was introduced to FFA. ,t changed her life. “,n my sophomore year, , had an instructor who told me , should come to a leader- ship camp,” she said. “That’s how , became involved. Then , got some chickens, and on our small piece of property , raised chickens.” Kraxberger stayed in- volved after high school, in- terning in FFA’s state of¿ ce while earning an agricultural See FFA, Page 9A B\ HILLARY BORRUD Capital Bureau SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown wants the Oregon Department of Transporta- tion to hire a consultant to review the agency’s man- agement practices. The review is supposed to reas- sure lawmakers the agency is doing everything it can to operate efficiently, as the Legislature gears up to pass a transportation fund- ing package in 2017. Earlier this year, law- makers called for a perfor- mance audit of the agency and wanted to re purpose some of its budget, mission’s meeting as part of a trans- in Silverton on portation funding Thursday. Howev- plan that ultimate- er, Oregon Depart- ly died. One law- ment of Transpor- maker who raised tation employees concerns was Sen. are handling the Betsy Johnson, process of recruit- D-Scappoose, ing consultants to who questioned examine the agen- why the state cy’s management. State Sen. spent thousands Betsy Johnson ODOT has asked 16 different firms of dollars to send a staffer abroad to research that conduct this type of work to weigh in on what alternatives to the gas tax. Brown asked the Ore- a review should look like, gon Transportation Com- ahead of an eventual re- mission to oversee the quest for proposals. “independent third-party See REVIEW, Page 7A review” during the com-