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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2016)
143RD YEAR, NO. 202 ONE DOLLAR WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 OLD FILM CASTS NEW LIGHT ON NORTH COAST FRIDAY EXTRA • 1C ASTORIA, SEASIDE TAKE LOSSES SPORTS • 7A Smith to go to state hospital for testing Judge ¿ nds reason to doubt mental ¿ tness By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian From left: Jerry Reagor, Pat O’Brien and John Anderson, speak at a panel discussion about the construction of the Astoria Bridge held in the Fort George Lovell Showroom on Wednesday. ‘The worst weather I ever worked in, period’ Fifty years later, workers recall Astoria Bridge construction By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian W orking high above the Columbia River to build the Astoria Bridge a half century ago, crews braved tor- rential rain and high winds. The workers would hang on to ropes and walk across the bridge on small wooden planks, often while rain came at them horizontally. John Anderson, who worked as a crane operator on the bridge, jokes that the driest people on the job were probably the divers in the water. “It’s the worst weather I ever worked in, period,” he said. Anderson was joined by two other workers this week for a panel discussion in Astoria as a part of “Bridge Talks,” a monthly series hosted by the Clatsop County Historical Society. The presentations and discussions mark the bridge’s 50th anniver- sary this summer. 50 years later McAndrew Burns, the exec- utive director of the Clatsop County Historical Society, is planning to recreate a ribbon-cut- ting dedication that was held Aug. 27, 1966. The recreation See SMITH, Page 10A Short-term rental rules confound Gearhart will likely happen during Astoria Regatta weekend. An exhibit on the story of the bridge opened this week inside the historical society’s Heritage Museum. I nformation on the bridge has also been complied online at www.astoriamegler50. com. While researching the bridge history for the exhibit and anni- versary events, Burns was able to track down more than a dozen people who worked on the 4.1- mile span . Three were able to come back to Astoria this week and share their experiences. Jerry Reagor, a general inspec- tor, and Pat O’Brien, owner of Astoria Ready M ix, spoke on the panel with Anderson. Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian See WORKERS, Page 9A The Astoria Bridge opened on July 29, 1966, connecting Astoria to the Washington side of the river at the unincorporated town of Megler. Regulations could prompt legal action By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian Warrenton to part ways with South Jetty High Program serves school-age prisoners By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — The Warren- ton-Hammond School District will cut ties in June with South Jetty High School, an outreach program that helps young prisoners earn their diplomas. Superintendent Mark Jeffery gave notice Wednesday to the state Department of Education, citing ¿ nancial and programmatic issues. ³My decision is no reÀ ection on the work that Rich and his staff have done,” Jeffery told the school board Tuesday, referring to South Jetty See WARRENTON, Page 7A A Clatsop County Circuit Court judge ordered accused murderer Jessica Smith be sent to the Oregon State Hospital to deter- mine if she is mentally ill or faking her behavior. Judge Cindee Matyas found there is rea- son to doubt Smith’s mental ¿ tness to pro- ceed based on her recent suicide attempt and an inconclusive report from a court-ap- pointed psychologist. The judge ordered Smith stay at the state hospital for up to a month to be evalu- ated and observed. A court hearing that was scheduled for later this Jessica month was canceled. Smith After the hospital stay, Smith will be transferred back to Clat- sop County Jail. A status hearing is sched- uled for late May . GEARHART — R esidents sounded off on short-term rentals Thursday night as more than 100 ¿ lled the ¿ rehouse and spilled out- side at a Planning Commission hearing. Those who spoke — and more than 60 signed up to do so — were responding to proposed rules that could sharply limit the number of properties used as short-term rent- als. The new rules limit the number of vaca- tion rentals to 35, to be obtained by a lottery process. Proposed rules specify that the use of a home for a vacation rental shall not exceed one rental within seven consecutive calen- dar days and limit the number of guests per bedroom, off-street parking spaces and sep- tic system capacity. The regulations also mandate a 24-hour owner representative and notice to neighbors . Three minutes each The Daily Astorian/File P hoto Graduates walk across the yard to the South Jetty High School graduation ceremony. The Warrenton-Hammond School District will cease providing educational services for the prison this summer. Speakers, limited to three minutes each, covered the gamut, from adoption of the pro- posed rules to calls to abandon the regulation process altogether. “Short-term rentals are part of the core of Gearhart,” resident Harold Gable said. Gable and others urged “universal enforcement” of the present ordinances rather than adoption of the regulations. Lynn Nichols and a handful of those who declared themselves “neutral” asked the See GEARHART, Page 10A CON CEAL-CARRY PERM IT CLASS APRIL 21 1 PM o r 6 PM ST | Best W estern : 5 5 5 Ha m b urg Ave, Asto ria O R/U ta h— va lid in W A $80 or O regon on ly $45 Ca ll 36 0-921-2071 for m ore in fo