NORTH COAST
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015
3A
Astoria Column
closed for repairs
The Daily Astorian
The Astoria Column is
closed for repairs through
June.
Workers have erect-
ed scaffolding around the
popular monument as part
of a $1 million restoration
project.
Visitors can still enter
the park at Coxcomb Hill
and see panoramic views
of the Columbia Riv-
er, the Astoria Bridge,
Youngs Bay and Youngs
River. But the interi-
or of the column with
the steps leading up to
the observation deck is
closed.
Angela Cosby, the di-
rector of the city’s Parks
and Recreation Depart-
ment, said the city hopes to
reopen the column by the
Fourth of July.
Friends of the Astoria
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nancing the repairs for the
city through private dona-
tions.
Built in 1926, the col-
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landmark. The last major
renovation was in 1995.
Photo courtesy of Sgt. 1st Class April Davis
Oregon Army National Guard soldiers with the 234th Engineer Company stand in formation as they are welcomed
home during a demobilization ceremony held in Salem Saturday.
Camp Rilea company returns to adulation
The Daily Astorian
EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian
Scaffolding has gone up around the Astoria Column
during a $1 million renovation project.
Convicted man
violates probation,
gets 45 months
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
An Aloha man was sen-
tenced Friday in Clatsop
County Circuit Court to near-
ly four years in prison after
multiple probation violations.
Robert Eldon Myers III,
27, was on probation after
being convicted in three sepa-
rate cases involving domestic
violence against his mother,
breaking into a vehicle and
stealing items, and possession
of methamphetamine. The
charges occurred in Clatsop
County in August 2013 and
September 2014.
Myers — who has about
a dozen other previous con-
victions including assault
and resisting arrest — recent-
ly violated his probation by
breaking curfew and alcohol
use. He had other probation
violations, but was allowed to
continue probation.
At his probation violation
hearing Friday, defense law-
yer Mary Murk explained
Myers suffers from a mental
health disorder and would be
better suited in the county’s
treatment court, rather than in
prison.
“In order for him to be suc-
cessful in the community, he
is going to need wraparound
services,” Murk said. “If he
is in a prison setting, I don’t
think he is going to get that
level of care.”
Myers offered a similar
plea to Judge Cindee Matyas,
who oversees the treatment
court.
“I would love to have a
try at your mental health ser-
vices,” Myers said. “At least
a chance.”
Prosecutor Scott Mc-
Cracken said it is not about
the merits of treatment court,
but rather that Myers violated
his plea deal with the state.
“This is about the fact that
he has not succeeded on pro-
bation and it is time to revoke
him,” McCracken said. “It’s
speculative that treatment
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cial to Mr. Myers.”
As part of the 45-month
sentence, Judge Matyas rec-
ommended Myers continue
drug and alcohol treatment in
prison.
“I do wish you luck, and
it’s really up to you,” she said.
SALEM — The Oregon
Army National Guard wel-
comed home approximately
180 soldiers of the 234th
Engineer Company, 1249th
Engineer Battalion, during
a demobilization ceremo-
ny Saturday at West Salem
High School.
Oregon
Gov.
Kate
Brown; U.S. Sen. Ron
Wyden; U.S. Rep. Kurt
Schrader; Maj. Gen. Daniel
Hokanson, adjutant general
in Oregon; Miss Oregon Re-
becca Anderson; and other
dignitaries attended.
The 234th Engineer
Company is headquartered
in Warrenton at Camp Rilea
and includes a platoon-sized
detachment located in
Prineville.
The unit mobilized last
June to Fort Bliss, Texas,
where it conducted training
in preparation for deploy-
ment to Kuwait.
The soldiers spent the
approximately nine-month
deployment conducting car-
pentry, plumbing, electrical
and other construction mis-
sions throughout Kuwait
and the surrounding region.
At Camp Buehring in
northern Kuwait, the sol-
diers installed sidewalks
and repaired facilities for
training, morale, welfare
and recreation.
At Camp Arifjan, south
of Kuwait City, the soldiers
constructed housing and
improved security check-
points, drainage systems
and existing infrastructure
to improve security, safety
and operations around camp
and the Kuwait Navy Base.
The maintenance section
Photo courtesy of Sgt. 1st Class April Davis
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, left, and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown welcome home Oregon Army Na-
tional Guard soldiers of the 234th Engineer Company during a demobilization ceremony
held in Salem Saturday.
also repaired vehicles and
support equipment needed
for missions.
With the onset of Oper-
ation Inherent Resolve, the
operation name for U.S.
intervention against the
Islamic State group, the
234th Engineer Compa-
ny conducted engineering
assessments and construc-
tion missions to expand
and improve forward op-
erating bases in Iraq and
Jordan.
Near the end of the de-
ployment, as missions in
Iraq, Jordan and Afghan-
istan came to an end, the
company helped construct
portable and containerized
housing in Kuwait.
Photo courtesy of Sgt. 1st Class April Davis
Oregon Army National Guard Spc. Marek Dinges of the
234th Engineer Company holds his 1-year-old son Cam-
den following a demobilization ceremony held in Salem
Saturday after a nine-month deployment in the Middle
East.
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