7A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
Corps: Sea lions ‘are a huge draw to our city’
Continued from Page 1A
Sea Lion
Defense Brigade
Watching the Port employ-
ees, as they often watch any-
thing involving sea lions on
WKHORZHU&ROXPELD5LYHUDUH
a couple of volunteers from the
Sea Lion Defense Brigade.
Veronica Montoya, who’s
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and said she came for the wild-
life, walks the docks Friday
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Montoya said she heard two
loud noises Thursday night,
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ing protected,” Montoya said,
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ramp Friday, the supposed
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The pinnipeds are supposed
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the Marine Mammal Protec-
tion Act, and Montoya leveled
multiple complaints against
the Port, from its unwilling-
ness to protect sea lions, to its
lack of communication with
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its refusal to release night-
time surveillance tape from
around the time the shell cas-
ings were found.
Shortly after the discovery,
the Port released the surveil-
lance tape to investigators
from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, who are looking into the
19 shell casings found Easter
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sea lions.
Finding a solution
Evert said he’s heard from
the ODFW, National Marine
Fisheries Services and other
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the need to get sea lions off
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EUHDNZDWHUVDQDWXUDOKDELWDW
“California sea lions reside
in the Eastern North Pacif-
ic Ocean in shallow coastal
and estuarine waters,” reads
NOAA’s information page
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es are preferred for haul out
sites. In California, they haul
out on marina docks, as well
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Port staff recently men-
tioned that environmental
group Sea Shepherd had of-
fered to pay for a sea lion-on-
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was evicted from its dock at
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sea lions in Astoria since 1997
as part of long-term study to
monitor the movement, feed-
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terns of the animal in the Co-
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3DFL¿F&RDVW´UHDG2'):¶V
question-and-answer
page
on California sea lions. “By
(re-siting) individual animals
throughout their lives, we
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sexual maturity, reproduc-
tive rates and longevity. All
of this information is crucial
to understanding sea lion life
history in order to (ensure) the
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of the population.”
Montoya said she doesn’t
see why ODFW has to do the
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middle of Astoria.
“These are a huge draw to
our city,” she said of the peo-
ple who regularly come out
on the causeway to watch the
animals, similar to the visitors
to the docks in Newport.
EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian
Maintenance staff from the Port of Astoria strings construction fencing up along a P Dock finger pier at the East End
Mooring Basin in a new effort to keep sea lions off.
EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian
Visitors to the Port of Astoria’s East End Mooring Basin Fri-
day watch California and Stellar sea lions congregate on O
Dock, along with Port staff stringing up construction fenc-
ing along P Dock in a new effort to keep the pinnipeds off.
EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian
By the start of this week, the sea lions had apparently
defeated the orange construction fencing, which the Port
has since replaced with metal chicken wire.
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planning the surprise for a couple of weeks
Continued from Page 1A
Purpose Marine Air-Ground
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deployed for seven months ing since last month from the
with the Special Purpose Ma- Middle East, where among
rine Air-Ground Task Force other actions, they’ve sup-
— Crisis Response — Central ported operations against the
Command out of Camp Pend- Islamic State of Iraq and the
leton, Calif.
Levant.
Based in Kuwait during
Most of Jordan’s family
the tour, Jordan said he served GLGQ¶WNQRZKHZDVEDFN\HW
with the 1st Maintenance Bat- save for his mother Sheryl,
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He joined the Marine Corps prise with him for a couple
at 18 and is coming up on his of weeks, and two sisters in
six-year anniversary in No- &DOLIRUQLDZKR/DZKDGEHHQ
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0HPEHUV RI WKH 6SHFLDO into Portland Monday. His
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him in two years.
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them, every time,” said Sher-
yl, adding while the family’s
kept in touch via Skype, it’s
never the same as seeing their
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reunion to take place at Asto-
ria High School, where Law’s
OLWWOHEURWKHU/DQGRQDQGVLV
ter Lexis, 16-year-old twins,
attend school. But a teacher
in-service day, meaning no
school for the kids, caused
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reaching out to Fort George.
“I thought we just came for
lunch,” said Landon, adding
that it did seem peculiar, with
the TV crews and his father,
Steve Law, showing up from
work.
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recognize the face,” said
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at Lum’s Auto Center.
Jordan said he’ll spend
some time with his family
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
until Thursday, after which
he leaves for Camp Pendleton From left: U.S. Marine Sgt. Jordan Law’s partner, Cameron Hol-
DQG JRHV EDFN LQWR WKH ¿HOG liday, his mother, Cheryl Law and his sister, Lexis Law, smile
after Jordan Law surprised his family at Fort George Brewery.
IRUPRUHWUDLQLQJE\6XQGD\
St. Helens woman died in Highway 30 crash; Warrenton woman injured
CLATSKANIE — U.S.
Highway 30 has reopened
after a 26-year-old St. Helens
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— died Monday morning
in a motor vehicle crash on
Hwy. 30 near the intersection
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Roads, according to the Co-
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¿FH
5RELVRQ¶VWZRVRQVDQG
1, who were traveling with
her, were transported to area
hospitals, as was 20-year-old
Kierstin Merila of Warren-
ton, who was driving another
vehicle in the crash.
The children were report-
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according to the sheriff’s of-
¿FH
Merila was taken to St.
John Medical Center in
Longview. Her condition was
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&ROXPELD &RXQW\ 6KHULII
-HII 'LFNHUVRQ GHVFULEHG WKH
crash as two cars colliding
after one was not in its lane.
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the make or model of the two
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was driving one and Merila
was driving the other.
“As far as who is at fault,
we have not determined
that,” Dickerson said.
The Washington County
Crash Analysis Reconstruc-
tion Team is assisting with
the investigation.
A third vehicle swerved to
DYRLG WKH FUDVK EXW QRQH RI
the occupants were injured.
The crash occurred at 10
a.m. Monday.
The highway was closed
for 7 1/2 hours while emer-
gency responders rendered
aid to the motorists, and lat-
er as investigators from the
Washington County Crash
Analysis and Reconstruction
Team conducted its investi-
gation.
“We are grateful for
the help we received from
CART, from the State Police,
and from the Rainier Police
Department,” Sheriff Jeff
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911 dispatchers and Colum-
ELD 5LYHU )LUH DQG 5HVFXH
personnel also provided tre-
mendous help, including with
their assistance in notifying
the family of the deceased.”
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in Astoria.
DUII arrest
• At 10:08 p.m. Sunday, Clat-
VRS &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V 2I¿FH DU
rested Sara Elsner, 37, Gresham,
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intoxicants at North Y in Seaside.
03-26-32-34-41-48
Next jackpot: $2.6 million
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Match 4: 02-04-09-12
Courtesy of the Columbia County
Sheriff’s Office
On the record
Harassment
• At 4:36 p.m. Friday, Astoria
Police arrested Michelle Diane
Roth, 59, Astoria, for harassment
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