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DailyAstorian.com // MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2017 144TH YEAR, NO. 132 ONE DOLLAR Whales head south Ecola State Park is a good place to watch By ZACH URNESS Statesman Journal CLATSOP COUNTY MANAGER CAMERON MOORE ASTORIA MAYOR ARLINE LaMEAR WARRENTON MAYOR MARK KUJALA County, city leaders look to the new year The exodus of gray whales heading south along the Oregon Coast is beginning. Each year, from mid-December to mid-January, around 20,000 whales swim from the cold Alaskan seas to the warm lagoons of Baja Mexico. The mass migration creates the poten- tial for one of nature’s most dramatic views. “On the right day, and at the right loca- tion, you can see up to 40 whales per hour,” said Luke Parsons, park ranger at the Depoe Bay Whale Watching Center. “It’s pretty amazing when that happens.” While much of the success in whale watching is patience — the willingness to keep your binoculars focused on the ocean — there are a few places and tips that can help improve odds, Parsons said. See WHALES, Page 7A The Daily Astorian For 2017, The Daily Astorian reporters asked the county manager and cities’ mayors what the biggest challenge facing their areas will be in the coming year. Clatsop County Manager Cameron Moore Some of the challenges of the coming year are as yet unknown, Clatsop County Manager Cameron Moore said. “It’s quite possible the biggest challenge we don’t know yet. Things happen during the course of the year.” Internally, a new compensation system is on the county road map. “We have been working for a couple years on revamping our compensation system for county employees, so we’re anticipating that 2017 will be the year that we implement that new structure, which again, doesn’t affect the taxpayers or anything,” he said. “But anytime you make significant changes to your com- pensation structure, there’s a few challenges that go along with that. Externally, there are two challenges on the horizon. “One is, in 2017, we will be doing a review of the county charter, which is the county government. It opens up county gov- ernment to potentially discuss either small or significant changes to the structure of county government,” Moore said. “We don’t know where that’s going to go yet, but obviously that’s very important. It’s something we only do once every 10 years. I would say that, probably, you know, certainly is very import- ant. How challenging it will be, we don’t know yet.” Secondly, the commissioners need to make a decision on the Linn County timber lawsuit. “But regardless of which decision they make, we are anticipating that 2017 — maybe all year, I don’t know — but this will be the discovery part of that trial,” Moore said. “What that means for us is, is whether we’re in the lawsuit or whether we’re out of the lawsuit, we’re probably going to have to commit significant county staff time and sig- nificant resources to responding to requests for years of data about timber sales and tim- ber revenues. And we don’t know how much demand that will place on county resources, but it could be significant.” Astoria Mayor Arline LaMear Astoria Mayor Arline LaMear said that one of the biggest challenges for the city of Astoria in 2017 will be replacing the aging waterfront bridges at the ends of Sixth through 11th streets. The wooden foundations beneath the six bridges can no longer safely support heavy truckloads, according to the city. Construc- tion along the waterfront may cause disrup- tions, from temporarily shutting down the Astoria Riverfront Trolley to making it diffi- cult for people to access establishments along that stretch of pier. The Daily Astorian/File Photo Volunteer Jim Border, center, points out toward a plume from a whale during a whale watching session at Ecola State Park last year. Farmers look ahead to a year of unknowns Water, workers, trade, Trump among issues By ERIC MORTENSON EO Media Group See LEADERS, Page 7A More water but maybe less regulation. Expanding yields and shrinking labor pools. Big Ag and Big Data taking root amid the blossoming of small farms. A political cli- mate in which some want to drain the swamp while others clamor to conserve the watershed. Got a crystal ball? Or, more in step with the times, a prognosticating drone? The agri- cultural outlook for 2017 is cloudy. “I think we’re going into a very uncer- tain period for producers and the food sys- tem, because the new administration coming in will be a little less predictable, perhaps,” said Rose Hayden-Smith, a former county extension agent who edits the University of California’s “Food Observer” blog. Trump and trade SEASIDE MAYOR JAY BARBER GEARHART MAYOR MATT BROWN CANNON BEACH MAYOR SAM STEIDEL Didn’t take long to get to President-elect Trump, did it? But no matter how you voted, the incoming administration poses a conun- drum for some producers. Many of them supported him — Trump took up to 80 per- cent of the vote in many rural counties — but disagree with some of his espoused policies. See UNKNOWNS, Page 7A Marketer takes the plunge at Pier 39 N early four years ago, Bethany Bell stopped into Floyd Holcom’s Asto- ria Scuba on Pier 39 to buy a replacement mask before a trip to Hawaii. Bell said the two struck up a conversation about the Roddenberry Dive Team, created by original Star Trek producer Gene Rodden- berry. Then, she said, Holcom pointed over his shoulder at an embroidered parka patch from the team mounted on the wall. “He didn’t know it, but I’m the one who made that patch,” Bell said. Bell, with her background in marketing for large publish- ers, was recently hired as mar- keting director for Holcom’s Pier 39, the former home of Bumble Bee Cannery that he refurbished into a waterfront commercial complex. Her new role with Pier 39 is to build the buzz around Astoria’s largest water- front building. The complex includes a walk-through can- nery museum, Rogue Ales Public House, Coffee Girl, Astoria Scuba, Four Winds Canvas Works, the Fisherman Suites hotel and Hanthorn Crab Co., along with office, retail and meeting spaces for rent. “Bethany adds a level of marketing that will bring the pier to a new plateau,” Hol- com said Bell worked for Prime- dia, which publishes “Motor Trend,” “Hot Rod” and other Inc., Microsoft Corp., Nin- auto-related titles. She also tendo Co., Warner Bros. and worked for a pub- Sony Corp. At Pier lisher specializ- 39, Bell will try to ing in video game entice more visitors and pop culture out over the water. entertainment. “Some might “As the direc- see our buildings tor of advertising, in the distance but I created compre- not realize they are hensive print and not only welcome, online media plans but encouraged, to and proposals for cross our bridge my clients and their and spend a while Bethany Bell advertising agen- exploring. Pier 39 cies, encompassing is the only place both product promotion and still standing that provides an general branding,” she said. historic walk back in time to Her clients included such Astoria’s cannery past.” large companies as Honda, Toyota Motor Corp., eBay See BELL, Page 7A