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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1999)
PSU task force looks for airport answers PORTLAND — Whether Port land International Airport ends up with a new runway or ends up being moved to farmland in the middle of the Willamette Valley may depend on the recommenda tion from a new task force. The 15-member task force at Portland State University’s Insti tute for Portland Metropolitan Studies will be led by Beaverton Mayor Rob Drake. The group may take eight months to analyze a list of resident concerns raised during the past three years, before a mas ter plan effort bogged down. Mike Thome, Port of Portland executive director, said the task force will explore all issues, from airport noise to adding a third main runway to moving the air port. “These are valid questions,” he said. “Should we build a new re gional airport in Wilsonville or on prime farmland somewhere in the Willamette Valley? Or should we just tell travelers, ’Sorry, but there are no more airline seats?’ ” Ethan Seltzer, director of the PSU institute, said a common suggestion is to move the airport, either down the Willamette Val ley or to somewhere between Vancouver, Wash., and Seattle that could be served by high speed rail. But a move would be expensive and probably would pose land-use problems, Seltzer said, adding, “There is no easy al ternative.” One key element of the master plan — the projected number of passengers in 2020 — has changed several times since the effort was launched. The initial forecast was that 12 million would grow to 24 million, but to day’s passenger total is pushing 14 million a year, and the 2020 guess is now 28 million to 30 mil lion. Key projects in the master plan would be triggered by growth, and a sudden increase in travelers could accelerate building. When the planners first started, the idea was that a third runway would be needed by 2020, but now that date has been moved to as soon as 2015. In fact, the Port started de veloping parts of the last 20-year plan after only six years. The task force also will study whether to support high-speed rail to Seattle and let Sea-Tac be come Portland’s airport. One Port of Portland commis sioner, bookseller Michael Pow ell, warned that issues such as whether to add a third main run way at Portland International Air port could become a symbol of an emerging no-growth climate across the metropolitan area. Meanwhile, airline deregula tion leading to increased compe tition and lower ticket prices “may result in an accelerated use of the airport,” he said. He cited Southwest Airlines’ coast-to-coast price of $98. Powell, who participated in an advisory committee on the master plan, said a third runway could be an issue much sooner than ex pected, perhaps as soon as 2012. — The Associated Press Flash flood destroys California town FOREST FALLS, Calif. — Search dogs prowled mud and debris for more bodies on Mon day after flash-flood waters 25 feet high swept homes, boulders and cars through a Southern Califor nia mountain hamlet. “It looked just like a movie out of Hollywood,” said Tristan Mc Dow, who helped rescue an elder ly woman buried to her neck in mud and debris for three hours. Bulldozers were snaking a path through the vacation community of 3,500, but despite warnings of more heavy rain on Monday, some residents still couldn’t drive out of the area, which was awash in debris that included giant pine trees, wreckage of automobiles and propane tanks. The body of one woman was pulled from the ooze and four oth ers were feared lost to the Sunday afternoon torrent that damaged or destroyed 15 homes, San Bernardino County fire spokesman Jack Fox said. Five people were hurt. “It was all so quick,” said Randy Thompson, 52, of Calime sa, who was barbecuing ribs with friends when sunshine suddenly turned to rain, then hail. “All of a sudden the house started trem bling and the boulders starting coming.” Peggy Merryman watched in horror as floodwaters picked up houses and cars in a 60 mph rush past her Spring Drive vacation home. “We saw them completely go. We knew there were people in them,” Mrs. Merryman said, her voice cracking as she recalled the terror. When the waters receded, Mrs. Merryman and Thompson said there was an eerie whistling sound coming from across the street where a home once stood. Buried in debris under a couch was an elderly neighbor man they know only as Bill. Clutching two Chihuahuas, he was whistling in hopes someone would find him and his family. “My daughter! My daughter!” he pleaded as his neighbors taped him to a door and carried him away from the carnage. The body of his dead daughter was beneath him and his wife was airlifted to a hospital in serious condition. The downpour, which dropped more than 11/2 inches in just 30 minutes, was the latest devasta tion from a powerful flow of tropi cal moisture that has sent thun derheads towering over the Southwest for nearly a week. Last Thursday, Las Vegas was inun dated with more than 3 inches of rain, flooding homes, casinos and highways. Thunderheads soaring to 30,000 feet led the National Weather Service to post flash flood watches throughout South ern California on Monday. Urban and small stream flood advisories were also posted Monday after noon in southern Nevada. A break in the hot, moist weath er was expected by Thursday. Forest Falls, 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles-off Highway 38 be tween Big Bear Lake and Red lands, is nestled at the bottom of a steep canyon along usually dry Mill Creek. Many of the town’s homes are vacation and weekend retreats. The Associated Press News Briefs Smith lends support to rush-hour trains BEAVERTON — Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith lent his support to a push to operate rush-hour pas senger trains on the freight train tracks between Beaverton and Wilsonville. ‘Til help,” the Republican told a gathering of state transportation officials last week. “I’ve always been committed to this. It’s a great project.” Supporters of the 18-mile rail proposal asked Smith’s help in getting commuter rail language into this year’s trans portation appropriations bill. That would get the project on federal planning boards and ensure technical help from the federal transportation bureau cracy. They also asked him for as sistance with the Federal Rail road Administration in draw ing up standards for a new generation of rail cars used on commuter lines and in devel oping a new federal policy that allows passenger cars on freight tracks. An engineering firm estimat ed start-up costs for the com muter line could reach $76 mil lion, depending on the final configuration. Annual operating costs are projected to range be tween $3.9 million and $4.4 mil lion. The Associated Press In attempt to save kids, father drowns on coast WARRENTON — A family trip to the beach turned tragic Sat urday when a father drowned trying to rescue his daughters and a friend, who were being drawn outto sea by a frigid riptide. A U.S. Coast Guard heli copter plucked the three girls safely from the Pacific Ocean about 200 yards offshore at Fort Stevens State Park. The heli copter retrieved 42-year-old George Babinec of Phoenix, Ariz., minutes later but he was pronounced dead at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. His daughters Maggy, 13, and Kate Babinec, 14, and their friend Tabitha E. Roberts, 14, of Kelso, Wash., were released from the hospital after being treated for hypothermia. The family had been camping at Fort Stevens and was among the throngs of people drawn to the beach by Saturday’s sunny, warm weather. Police had to herd about 300 onlookers out of the way during the rescue. The ocean looked deceptive ly calm Saturday, with four to five rows of 2- to 3-foot break ers just off the beach, Clatsop County sheriffs Marine Deputy Willie Nyberg said. But the tide was going out and there was a strong undertow not visible from shore. Even on hot summer days, the ocean is cold and swim mers can experience hypother mia. The air temperature on Saturday was in the 70s, but the water hovered in the 50s. “The Pacific Ocean in this area of the world is pretty nasty,” Penkin said. “Hypother mia is a year-round event here. The water is so cold and people just don’t realize it. ” The girls were playing in the surf west of the Peter fredale ship wreck about 4:30 p.m. when one appeared to slip into a hole or fell down. —The Associated Press j mm Subs wi*h Substance* 3 item piiza expires 7/31/99 Eugene: 686-5808 Springfield: 746-7666 1 medium 12' 1 item pizza expires 7/31/99 Eugene: 686-5808 Springfield: 746-7666 All Ways Trave 1 Summer Specials Orlando.$222.00* New York.$202.00* New Orleans...........$222.00* Ft. Lauderdale.$222.00* Chicago.$202.00* •tax not included, restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice. cjerlach’s MEW! 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