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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2015)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015 Center: nothing to meet their need. When they leave here, my worry is, in these cold times — what will they do? Where will they go? — so when that place began to open up, and the Baptist place was no longer avail- able to them, it was a relief of heart. “I’m so glad that they’re open. I’m encouraging them. If I can, we’ll be of any service and help to them in any way that’s possible. But Continued from Page 1A shelter at Exchange Street and 11th Street opens on nights when tem- peratures are expected to drop below 35 degrees. “I think we can all agree that no- body should die of exposure in As- toria or anywhere,” said Councilor Drew Herzig, who won the council’s backing for the warming center. by donations made through Grace Episcopal Church. The city, Herzig said, is paying a small amount for an extension of insurance. The space is available until the renovation starts sometime this year. “It’s perfectly appropriate use for a building that’s otherwise sitting there empty,” he said, adding that he location by next winter. The First Baptist Church had been providing shelter for the homeless and needy during freezing weather for the past seven years. But the church chose not to extend the safety net this winter after the city approved the warming center just blocks away. Don Roessler, the church moder- ator at First Baptist, said the church was “doing it just as Christians knowing it was the right thing to do. So if somebody else wants to do it, there’s no animosity. The only weird question was, `How did they not know?’” He said the church would as- sist Herzig “with any needs that he JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Councilor Drew Herzig talks with volunteers before opening the warming center Tuesday. might have over at the new shelter.” The Astoria Rescue Mission, a Christian-based ministry that offers men’s and women’s shelters, grants passing through but concentrates on longer-term outreach. The mission, according to David Newman, the executive director, has six-month, 12-month and two-year programs “to help people get back on their feet through Christ.” Newman had some concern for volunteers at the new warming cen- ter because those who could show up might have been turned away from other help because of per- sistent behavioral or drug and alco- hol problems. “It scares me,” he said. “But, at the same time, if they don’t have a place here to go, it’s not right. The Bible says that we don’t say be well fed and keep warm, and then do full. No doubt about it. It’s a lot of work.” Herzig and the volunteers at the warming center are learning as they go along. Verbal instructions on expected behavior and prohibi- tions against smoking, alcohol and drugs have already evolved into in- dividual, signed written agreements to abide by the rules or be asked to leave. The warming center opens at 8 p.m. and lights are turned off at 10 p.m. People who are sleeping over- night are not allowed to leave after 10 p.m. The shelter closes at 8 a.m. the following morning. On Tuesday night, the home- less and needy were offered coffee, chicken, rice and vegetable soup and cookies. Mats were arranged women. “Come in and get warm!” the sign outside promised. But, ironi- cally, the heat at the warming center would not work when the shelter opened. The heat came back on just before midnight. Nasstrom: ‘We focus on all levels of nursing care’ Continued from Page 1A The program currently includes made it to their second year. “We focus on all levels of nursing care,” said Nasstrom, adding that the faculty shares teaching responsibil- ities in their classes. “We all work together, which I like.” Northern migration Nasstrom originally hails from Sebastopol, Calif., a small en- clave about 50 miles north of San Francisco. She said her interest in nursing was a culmination of factors, from her now 98-year-old grandmother, a former nurse, to her enjoyment of social interac- tion. “Evidently, I’m a horrible sleeper,” said Nasstrom about her mother’s influence on her choice of profession. “And my mom used to say ‘you should be a nurse, so you can work the night shift.’” Nasstrom earned her bachelor’s in nursing in 2000 from Hum- boldt State University, where she and Doug met. The two traveled together to Los Angeles, where Nasstrom earned her master’s degree and further certification as a nurse in 2004 from Califor- nia State University Long Beach, while her husband earned his mas- ter’s and certification as an anes- thetist from Cal State Fullerton. Then the two, looking for the small town, rural life, moved to Coos Bay, where they spent 10 years practicing medicine, Nasstrom at the North Bend Medical Center and Doug at Bay Area Hospital. Nasstrom said she liked it in Coos Bay — but she likes it even better in Astoria. “I love the weather,” said Nasstrom, an avid reader. “It’s not much different that Coos Bay. I love the proximity to the ocean and the water.” Nasstrom has family roots in Or- egon, too, her father being born in Ontario and raised in Glendale. In her transition from practitioner to teacher, Nasstrom said there are parts she misses and some she doesn’t. “The worst day to be on call was DuneFest weekend. It was never a good weekend.” But it was time, she said, to do something different, and she’s ready to be a teacher for the foreseeable future. Laws: Continued from Page 1A been stalled for years before getting a big boost from for- mer New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Now a winemaker in Washing- ton state, Bledsoe complained to lawmakers he could not send his products to Massachusetts residents, including fans and former teammates like cur- rent Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. ANIMALS In California, a ballot ini- tiative approved by voters in 2008 takes effect restricting hens, breeding sows and veal calves. The Humane Society of the United States says the law goes further than any in the country when coupled with a law signed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that extends the space requirements for egg-laying hens to out-of- state suppliers. In Utah, cities and towns AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File A woman looks at the bullet holes on the window of IV Deli Mark where a mass shoot- ing took place near the University of California, Santa Barbara campus, in the Isla Vista beach community in May. In response to the killing rampage of Elliot Rodger, 22, that left seven people, including himself dead, lawmakers approved and California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law which requires law enforcement agencies to develop policies that encourage officers to search the state’s database of gun purchases as part of routine welfare checks. More than 900 laws approved by the Legislature and signed by the gov- ernor take effect today. breeds within their limits. At least 10 cities now have re- strictions that ban ownership of breeds such as pit bulls. gredients and require state po- lice to add meth offenders to a national database. CRIME In Louisiana, 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to register to vote when obtaining a driver’s license, though they still won’t be able to vote until they turn 18. In North Carolina, individ- In California, a “yes means yes” standard for sex between college students takes effect, - scious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity,” meaning silence or a lack of resistance can no longer be deemed consent. In Michigan, rape evidence may be better organized and tracked under laws designed to help ensure kits aren’t caught in the sort of backlog found when more than 11,000 untested box- es were discovered in a Detroit Police storage facility in 2009. In Louisiana, law enforce- ment agencies must provide a tally of the number of untest- ed rape kits on their shelves by Thursday, part of a law that took effect in August. DRUG ABUSE In Michigan, buying cough and cold medicines for the purpose of making metham- phetamine will be illegal under another series of measures in- tended to crack down on meth makers. The laws also prohibit asking someone to buy the in- ELECTIONS party primary must have had candidacy notice. A Delaware law establishes new rules for allocating cam- paign contributions among joint account holders, such as when spouses submit a politi- cal contribution using a single check. ENVIRONMENT In North Carolina, home sellers will have to disclose whether they know if under- ground oil and gas rights have been sold. In New York State, con- sumers must begin recycling old computers, televisions and video game consoles instead of throwing them in the trash. In the face of a three-year drought, new California laws require water districts and other local entities to develop plans to manage their groundwater and allow the state to intervene if necessary. HEALTH In Louisiana, smoking will be banned within 25 feet of buildings, as a way to lessen ex- posure to secondhand smoke. HUNTING In North Carolina, the state Wildlife Resources Commis- sion faces new restrictions on how high it can raise fees on licenses. Starting with the new year, the fees can’t be raised beyond a widely used measure MOTOR VEHICLES In California, drivers’ li- censes will be available for people in the country illegally. In Nevada, students who are declared habitually truant could be delayed from obtaining a driver’s license, or could have their license suspended. In Florida, all children aged 4 and 5 will be required to sit in a child safety seat or booster seat instead of using just a car seat belt. In Indiana, license plates will be required on motor - lowing complaints about un- safe driving by those who’ve lost their licenses because of drunken driving arrests or other offenses. In Michigan, lawmakers closed a loophole so motor- cyclists can no longer buy a temporary permit every riding season without taking a safety or skills test needed for a full endorsement. - ly allow “hold open” clips on pumps at self-service gaso- line stations, ending motorists’ complaints — particularly in winter — about being in one of the few states where the clips weren’t allowed. In Utah, police will be re- quired to impound the vehi- cles of uninsured drivers in- stead of just having the option to do so. SOCIAL MEDIA In New York in February, it becomes illegal to pose for a photo with a lion, tiger or other big cat. The measure, contact between members of the public and big cats at animal shows, passed after self-portraits with the animals started becoming more pop- AP Photo/Mike Groll, File Protesters rally for an increase in the minimum wage on the Great Western Staircase at the Capitol, in Albany, N.Y., July 17. The minimum wage goes up today in several states, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Oregon, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington. ular online, particularly with some young men on dating sites. TAXES In North Carolina, Re- publican lawmakers who ap- proved an income tax cut also took away breaks to Holly- wood and cab drivers. Expir- ing is a 25 percent tax credit that in 2013 allowed produc- ers to forego paying $61 mil- lion in state taxes. It’s being replaced in 2015 by a grant program for video produc- tions capped at $10 million. In Virginia, drivers can expect to see a 5 cents-per- gallon increase in the cost of gas, while Maryland’s gas tax is set to rise about 3.5 cents. In Mississippi, totally dis- abled veterans and their sur- viving spouses who have not remarried would not have to pay property taxes on their primary residence. WAGES The minimum wage goes up Thursday in several states, including Arkansas, Connecti- cut, Florida, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Is- land. A wage increase in New York takes effect Wednesday. In addition, troopers in Okla- in seven years. WEAPONS In Pennsylvania on Jan. 5, a law takes effect that’s designed to give the Nation- gun owner, a better chance at successfully challenging court. In general, Pennsyl- vania bars its municipalities - nances that are stronger than state law. But the NRA has complained that dozens of local ordinances go unchal- lenged in Pennsylvania courts by residents who can prove it harmed them. In California, law enforce- ment agencies are required to develop policies that en- the state’s database of gun purchases as part of routine welfare checks. The bill was prompted by sheriff’s dep- uties’ failure to detect the danger posed by a man who weeks later embarked on a deadly rampage in May near the University of California, Santa Barbara.