142nd YEAR, No. 221
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015
ONE DOLLAR
HOME TO STAY?
‘Shanghaied’ aims to stay put
A living,
breathing
oil slick
&RDVW*XDUG
responds to
µRLOVSLOOV¶¿QGV
MHOO\¿VKLQVWHDG
By KATIE WILSON
EO Media Group
PACIFIC OCEAN — The bil-
OLRQVRIVPDOOMHOO\¿VKOLNHFUHDWXUHV
known as “by-the-wind sailors”
washing up on West Coast beach-
es this spring look like pieces of
plastic bleaching on the sand. But
as they ride the tide toward those
same beaches, mariners are mistak-
ing them for something much more
alarming.
Since March, the U.S. Coast
*XDUG 6HFWRU &ROXPELD 5LYHU KDV
responded to nine reports of large
oil spills off the Oregon and Wash-
ington coasts. Some of the slicks
stretched for several hundred yards
while another was a mile long.
With each report, responders hus-
tled to the area and scanned the wa-
ter for sunken vessels and people in
need of rescue.
See JELLYFISH, Page 11A
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Judith Niland, volunteer coordinator with the Astor Street Opry Co., shows the ticket office, which also doubles as a storage area and is
the only access point to the lighting control room. The ticket office is one of many changes that the theater group is trying to make.
Astor Street Opry asks for ‘Pennies for Potties,’ to keep group growing
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
W
hen the Astor Street
Opry Co. relocated to its
location on Bond Street
in the Uniontown district of Astoria
in 2007, it was the group’s fourth
move since forming in 1984.
The Opry Co. began in an Ea-
gles Club in Astoria, moved into
the lobby of the Astor Hotel, then
into the Finnish Meat Market, be-
IRUH¿QGLQJWKHROG5R\¶V0D\WDJ
building at 129 W. Bond St.
After leasing for three years,
the Opry Co. purchased the Bond
Street location in 2010 with hopes
of making it a permanent home.
Judith Niland, Astor Street’s
volunteer coordinator, said having
the stable space has helped develop
and hold to an annual schedule of
HYHQWVLQFOXGLQJWKHJURXS¶VÀDJ
ship performance of “Shanghaied
in Astoria.”
7KH QRQSUR¿W RUJDQL]DWLRQ KDV
grown from one production each
year to three original musical melo-
dramas, children’s and teen theater,
live stage dramas, comedies and
other events.
“We know it was the moving
that kept breaking down our orga-
QL]DWLRQ´ 1LODQG VDLG ³:H QHYHU
could expand our programs.”
Shrimp
spray to
go away
Sudden reversal
followed surge
in protests
EO Media staff report
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Volunteer Coordinator Judith Niland of the Astor Street Opry Co.
points out some of the areas that need upgrading in the theater.
Phase 3, which they playfully call
“Pennies for Potties,” because it fo-
cuses on fundraising for an indoor
EDWKURRPDORQJZLWKDWLFNHWRI¿FH
and rehearsal space.
To complete the indoor bath-
URRP DQG RI¿FH VSDFH 1LODQG
said, the estimated cost is about
‘Pennies for Potties’
$280,000. The Opry Co. is seeking
Niland, a volunteer with the grants from places such as the Ford
Opry Co. since it began, considers Family Foundation and Meyer
the purchase of the Bond Street lo- Memorial Trust, which previous-
cation Phase 1 in the group’s effort ly helped the group purchase its
to make the space a mainstay com- building.
munity theater. Basic remodeling
Most grantors require matching
RYHUWKHSDVW¿YH\HDUVZDV3KDVH funds, Niland said, so the theater
2, she said.
group is actively fundraising to
Now, Astor Street is entering FROOHFW DW OHDVW 5DLVLQJ
matching funds shows grantors
the community is serious about the
project, she said.
So far, Astor Street has raised
about $30,000 in cash donations
and $30,000 from in-kind dona-
tions to total about $60,000. There
is no time line for the fundraising,
Niland said, because many of the
grantors accept applications year-
round.
The project’s cost did cause
some sticker shock, Niland said,
but the work is extensive and nec-
essary for the theater. The additions
will be earthquake-proofed and the
original theater space will be struc-
WXUDOO\UHWUR¿WWHG
HOW TO HELP
To donate to the Astor Street
Opry Co., visit www.astorstree-
toprycompany.com, click on
the donation button, or mail
donations to ASOC, P. O. Box
743, Astoria, OR. 97103.
For questions or more informa-
tion, contact ASOC Fundraising
Chairman Chuck Meyer at
503-325-7969 or chuck555sara@
gmail.com
A new indoor bathroom would
replace the porta-potties outside
the theater. The indoor bathroom
would be cleaner, warmer and
allow more use during intermis-
sions.
See OPRY, Page 12A
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Wash-
ington State Department of Ecol-
RJ\ DQG WKH :LOODSD*UD\V +DU
ERU 2\VWHU *URZHUV $VVRFLDWLRQ
:*+2*$ RQ 6XQGD\ GHFLGHG WR
cancel a recently issued permit to use
imidacloprid to control a burgeoning
native burrowing shrimp population
following public outcry.
“One of our agency’s goals is to
reduce toxics in our environment,”
Ecology Director Maia Bellon said
in a statement Sunday. “We’ve heard
loud and clear from people across
Washington that this permit didn’t
meet their expectations, and we re-
spect the growers’ response.”
See SPRAY, Page 12A
coast
weekend
THURSDAY
Indigenous artists
House passes police body cam legislation
Companion bill
FODUL¿HVULJKWWR
record police
endorsed the idea, but equip-
ping the larger Portland police
force would be more costly.
Locally, the Astoria budget
committee tentatively backed
funds for body and vehicle
By PETER WONG
cameras for police.
Capital Bureau
“We know this technolo-
J\ LV QHZ´ VDLG 5HS -HQQL
SALEM — The Oregon fer Williamson, D-Portland,
+RXVH KDV WDNHQ WKH ¿UVW VWHS WKH ELOO¶V ÀRRU PDQDJHU ³6R
toward regulating how police I think this is a solid start. I
use body cameras to record their look forward to seeing the
interactions with the public.
policies that agencies develop
A House vote of 50-9 on in their communities.”
Tuesday sent House Bill 2975
However, the bill does not
to the Senate.
require police to use them.
The Columbia County
8QGHUWKHELOORI¿FHUVFDQ
sheriff and Hermiston police activate cameras “continuous-
have decided to equip their ly” upon reasonable suspicion
RI¿FHUV ZLWK ERG\ FDPHUDV or probable cause that a crime
and Portland is considering or violation is being commit-
it. Mayor Charlie Hales has ted. The camera can be turned
EO Media Group file
The Hermiston Police Department has issued lapel-mount-
ed body cameras to all its patrol officers. The Oregon
House has passed legislation regulating their use.
RIIRQFHDQRI¿FHU¶VSDUWLFLSD
tion ends.
2I¿FHUV PXVW DQQRXQFH
a body camera is in use, but
agencies can make exceptions
based on privacy, public safe-
ty or “exigent circumstanc-
HV´ VXFK DV ZKHQ DQ RI¿FHU
attempts to thwart someone
from committing a crime or
interviews a vulnerable wit-
ness.
Although the bill would
shield most police video from
disclosure — similar to video
shot from cameras mounted in
patrol cars — it does provide
an exception if public interest
in disclosure outweighs the
need to withhold it.
“I am not sure who is go-
ing to determine that,” said
5HS &DUO :LOVRQ 5*UDQWV
Pass, a broadcaster who voted
against the bill.
See BODY CAMS, Page 11A