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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2015)
Tribes keep light alive Birds at rest WEEKEND EDITION OPINION • 4A 143rd YEAR, No. 38 EXTRA • 1C ONE DOLLAR FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015 Bridge to reopen by Labor Day Span of Lewis and Clark River Bridge has been closed since December for repairs By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Pat Schmidt, an attendant at the Astoria Texaco station, pumps gas for a customer Thursday. A new state law will allow gas stations in coun- ties with populations of 40,000 or less to permit customers to pump their own gas when an attendant isn’t present from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. A CHANGE AT THE PUMP New state law allows self-service at gas stations, but within strict limits By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian B reaking with a long-stand- ing — and long-contested — Oregon tradition, a new state law will allow drivers in small rural counties, including Clatsop County, to pump their own gas. But don’t get too excited. The law simply gives gas stations the option to permit non-commercial motorists to fill their own tanks when an attendant isn’t present between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and only in counties with populations of 40,000 or less. Signed into law in June, the change goes into effect in Janu- ary and impacts 18 of Oregon’s 36 counties. The bill’s chief sponsor, state Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, said the law will help drivers in re- mote regions of Oregon, where traffic flow is often too modest to warrant a 24-hour employee pres- ence at many gas stations. “We needed this bill to make sure we had fuel at night in places like John Day and Lakeview and other small towns that close their stations,´ Bentz said. “We want to make sure there’s fuel avail- able no matter where you are.´ There are long stretches of state highway, especially in (ast- ern Oregon, where drivers are likely to encounter closed gas sta- tions after normal business hours. ‘We needed this bill to make sure we had fuel at night in places like John Day and Lakeview and other small towns that close their stations. We want to make sure there’s fuel available no matter where you are.’ — state Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario the bill’s chief sponsor For example, a driver traveling the 101 miles on U.S. Highway 95 between Malheur County’s Jordan Valley and McDermitt, an unincorporated community on the Oregon-Nevada border, is well-placed for an after-hours fuel shortage. “This is not an issue of con- venience, it’s an issue of access,´ Bentz said. “‘Can I get some gas and get the hell out of town"’´ The North Coast isn’t nearly as sparsely populated as the areas the law is designed to serve. But since Clatsop County’s popula- tion hovers at about 37,000, the law may change how some local gas stations do business. ‘Things change’ Though the law doesn’t kick in for another four-and-a-half months, it isn’t too soon for area gas station owners to start imag- ining possible outcomes. From the customer’s stand- point, the benefits of self-serve pumps are obvious: more avail- able fuel and — in situations where few gas attendants are on hand to service long lines of cars — less wait time. If the la- bor costs involved in keeping gas attendants on the clock translates to higher gas prices, self-serve might mean a slight reduction in those prices. From the business owner’s standpoint, however, the law’s ef- fects are less clear, and much may depend on whether the gas station is part of a convenience store op- eration. Non-24-hour gas stations — like the Texaco Food Mart on Marine Drive that closes at mid- night Monday through Friday and 11 p.m. Saturday and Sun- day — may see an opportunity to increase revenue just by keeping the pumps running. But for 24-hour stations, there’s more to consider. Don P atterson, owner of one 24-hour Mini Mart gas station in Astoria and one in Warrenton, said the law may give an unfair advantage to stations that oper- ate 24/7. By not having to open up their stores, only the pumps, the law may hinder stations that employ round-the-clock gas at- tendants. “We’re going to continue busi- ness as usual. I’m not going to lay off employees or anything like that,´ he said. “Things change. If someone’s getting an unfair ad- vantage, we have to change busi- ness accordingly.´ Of the opposite opinion is Dave Singh, the owner of the 24-hour Stop & Go Shell in Seaside, who said, “De¿ nitely it’s going to be better for the business owners.´ Though he likes the idea of not having to pay a gas attendant for doing something motorists can do themselves, Singh prefers to keep at least two employees working at night for safety reasons. He will just have two people logging hours in the convenience store rather than one behind the regis- ter and one at the pumps. See PUMP, Page 10A The Lewis and Clark River Bridge, closed since December for major rehabilitation work, will re- open in time for Labor Day week- end. The bridge provides an alterna- tive route to Astoria and Warrenton and the closure, along with other road repairs, has contributed to traf- ¿ c congestion in a year when tour- ism appears to have increased. The w ork included replacing the west approach and repairing the cor- roded steel structure. The bridge, built in 1924, is the last remaining single leaf bascule drawspan in Or- egon. “The approach on the west side is deteriorating so much it was causing the asphalt surface to fail,´ said Lou See BRIDGE, Page 10A Neighborhood Greenway gets closer look Next phase of city’s vision plan By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian Dozens of Alderbrook residents told city planners Thursday night they want to keep or expand devel- opment restrictions along the Co- lumbia River. Many in the quirky, close-knit east side neighborhood have already pushed back against the Astoria Riv- erwalk and a potential dog park. The message at a town hall meeting on the Neighborhood Greenway leg of the city’s Riverfront Vision Plan at the Hampton Inn and Suites was un- ambiguous. “If it ain’t broke, don’t ¿ x it,´ said Michael Zametkin, a teacher who lives in Alderbrook, warning of the possibility of unintended conse- quences from any land-use change. Neighborhood Greenway — from 41st Street to 54th Street — is the third phase of the Riverfront Vi- sion Plan, the city’s initiative to cre- ate better land use and development guidelines along the river. See GREENWAY, Page 10A Coast Guard commander permanently relieved of post Bitterman had been temporarily removed from the Steadfast in April By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian The U.S. Coast Guard has permanently relieved the for- mer commander of the cutter Steadfast, citing a loss of con- ¿ dence in his ability to main- tain the ef¿ ciency, morale and well-being of the unit and his crew. Cmdr. John Bitterman had been temporarily relieved of duty from the Astoria-based cut- ter in April. “The Coast Guard holds those in command to the high- est levels of professionalism, pro¿ ciency and dedication,´ Lt. Donnie Brzuska, the pub- lic affairs of¿ cer of the Coast Guard 3aci¿ c Area Command in Alameda, Calif., said in a statement. “The Coast Guard conducted a thorough and comprehensive administrative investigation pri- or to relieving Cmdr. Bitterman. The Coast Guard lost con¿ dence in Cmdr. Bitterman’s ability to serve as a commanding of¿ cer and maintain the ef¿ ciency, mo- rale and well-being of the unit and his crew. “Because the relief and the investigation were administra- tive in nature, I cannot release any more details. However, the Coast Guard acted in the best interest of the crew of Steadfast to ensure a positive working en- vironment.´ Bitterman, according to Brzuska, has been reassigned to Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Astoria. Cmdr. Mark Walsh from Coast Guard Leadership Devel- opment Center in New London, Conn., is acting as the tempo- rary commanding of¿ cer of the Steadfast. Bitterman, who took com- mand of the Steadfast in July 2014, had been the command- ing of¿ cer of the cutter (disto in San Diego and was the Coast Guard’s Police Attaché in Bogo- ta, Colombia. The Steadfast, a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter based at the 17th Street Dock in As- toria, patrols from the Paci¿ c Northwest to South America. Capt. John Bit- terman, left, for- mer commander of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Steadfast, is shown here during a tour of the ship. He has been perma- nently relieved of command due to a loss of confidence in his leadership. Submitted Photo After Bitterman was tempo- rarily relieved from the Stead- fast in April, his attorney at the time described the commander as a whistleblower who was retaliated against for drawing at- tention to the poor condition of the 47-year-old vessel. Bitterman could not be reached for comment Thurs- day through Sector Columbia River.
