Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2015)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 NORTH COAST 3A Tankers away School menus now online The Daily Astorian The Astoria School Dis- trict now offers Nutrislice, a website and free smartphone app providing information on school meals. A calendar shows the main entree each day, alter- nate entrees and a la carte op- tions. Each option includes photos, descriptions and detailed nutritional infor- mation, including calories, fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, ¿ber, sugar and protein. The site also provides allergy information and nutritional education messages. “This fresh technology allows us to more vividly and accurately communi- cate our menus, and makes them convenient and acces- sible to parents and students anytime, anywhere,” the dis- trict said in a release. For more information, visit astoria.nutrislice.com Service fair features city departments The Daily Astorian The city is hosting a Ser- vice Fair from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Barbey Center. The fair includes equip- ment displays and booths featuring the various depart- ments within the city, and gives citizens an opportunity to learn about the depart- ments and what they do, and to see the various vehicles and equipment up close. The event also provides an opportunity to meet elected of¿cials and city employees. Citizens will be able to express comments, concerns or ask questions about different aspects of city operations. There will also be games and prizes, and food will be provided free of charge. Families are welcome to come and enMoy a fun-¿lled evening. For information about the event, contact Julie Yuill at 503-325-5824 or jyuill@ astoria.or.us, or Rosemary Johnson at 503-338-5183 or rjohnson@astoria.or.us Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian The SS Petersburg, one of Military Sea Lift Command’s tankers, passed by Astoria Friday. The command provides transportation for the Department of Defense. Legal action threatened over spotted frog habitat lives upstream and downstream of both and is harmed when riv- er levels rise and fall rapidly in response to irrigation needs. In a prepared statement, the center’s endangered species di- rector, Noah Greenwald, said the problems “can likely be ¿xed with minimal impact to irrigation districts.” He said the Oregon spotted frog is “one of the most imper- iled amphibians in the world” and the Bureau of Reclamation needs to “step up” its oversight of the dams. By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press When Mike Britton answers the phone at his North Unit Ir- rigation District of¿ce in central Oregon these days, the conver- sations take a quick turn. “The ¿rst three words are, µI heard a rumor,...’” Britton, the North Unit manager, said. And so it goes. Environmen- tal groups have warned they intend to ¿le suit over Oregon spotted frog habitat, and patrons of multiple Deschutes River Ba- sin irrigation districts worry the outcome will leave their land with less water and more restric- tions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in August 2014 list- ed the Oregon spotted frog as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. The listing wasn’t a surprise; the frog has disappeared from an esti- mated 78 percent of its historic range, from southwest British Columbia to Northern Califor- nia. Loss of its favored marsh habitat and introduction of pred- ators such as bullfrogs are the primary reason for the frog’s decline. Fish and Wildlife pro- posed 22,600 acres in the De- schutes River Basin as critical habitat. The Upper Deschutes in central Oregon is one of the few places where the frogs can still be found, particularly in Crane Prairie and Wickiup Reservoirs and in the wetlands downstream from them and from Crescent Lake. Irrigation districts, recogniz- ing the potential impact of an Endangered Species Act listing, worked with Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and other agencies and groups to develop a habitat conservation plan for spotted frogs. Britton heads a group, the Deschutes Basin Board of Control, which represents eight irrigation dis- tricts in the process. Puzzling move Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Central Oregon irrigation districts worry they’ll be restricted by lawsuits over the Oregon spotted frog, which is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Legal challenges coming But this summer, the Cen- ter for Biological Diversity and WaterWatch of Oregon separately gave 60 days notice they would ¿le suit against the Bureau of Reclamation, which built the Crane Prairie, Wickiup and Crescent Lake reservoirs, and against the North Unit, cen- tral Oregon and Tumalo irriga- tion districts, which operate and manage the dams and reservoirs. The lawsuits allege the bu- reau and districts have harmed spotted frogs. In a news release, WaterWatch said “managing the Deschutes more like an ir- rigation ditch than a river has caused signi¿cant damage to river health.” WaterWatch said it is primar- ily concerned about the stretch of river from Wickiup down- stream to Bend. The Center for Biological Diversity questions the operations of Wickiup and Crane Prairie, saying the frog W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500 G u ess w h a t d a y it is! A nnual B luegrass C arnival F undraiser It’s Hump’s Day!!! S ATUR D AY • S EP T . 19 • 11 AM - 3 P M TH ANNUAL N OW O PEN Frida y & Sa turda y 6a m -10pm Cu st om e r Appre c ia tion Video S AC SN K E EN T C A R ESH M KS F • Meet City officials, employees, and volunteers Find out what’s happening in City departments through displays and demonstrations See big construction equipment, police cars, and fire trucks up close Enjoy free hot dogs!! M ust present coupon to server. N ot va lid w ith other offers. RE Thursday, September 10, 2015 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Barbey Center, 20th and Marine Drive • Just 15 m in. from the Lew is & Cla rk Bridge on H w y. 30 Hump’s Restaurant- 50 W. Columbia River Highway Clatskanie, OR. 503.728.2626 Portion of the proceeds w ill benef it S HS Robotics SERVICE FAIR $9.95 All You Can Eat Chicken & Dumplings- Thursdays 5-8 pm $6.95 Prime Rib Fridays- starts at 5pm $9.95 B ring the F am ily! City of Astoria • • 14 OUN CE N EW Y ORK STEAK & BAK ED POTATO FOOD • B B Q • LIVE M US IC • D UNK TANK S LID ES • OB S TACLE COURS ES • B OUNCERS P RIZES • GAM ES • B INGO • B AK E S ALE H O BUR T D G ER S OG S www.LighthouseChristianChurchOregon.com AT HUMP’S RESTAURANT EV ERY W ED N ESD AY 5 -8 PM No reservations, please HAM Lighthouse Christian Church A Lighthouse of Hope 88786 Dellmoor Loop Warrenton, OR • 503.738.5182 Britton, the North Unit man- ager, said he doesn’t want to speculate on what the lawsuits will speci¿cally allege once they are ¿led. “I wish we knew, good or bad,” he said. Britton said the Center for Biological Diversity’s involve- ment is puzzling, because it hasn’t been involved in develop- ment of the habitat conservation plan. Britton said WaterWatch’s threat of legal action is disap- pointing, because it was among the agencies, districts, tribal leaders and others involved in the planning. “I thought we were working for a collaborative solution,” he said. One of the projects that emerged from the spotted frog work is called Ryan Ranch Meadow, a 65-acre site. Fish and Wildlife, the Forest Service and the districts see it as possible spotted frog habitat that could mitigate habitat loss elsewhere, Britton said. District volunteers installed pipes and ¿sh screens and plan to Àood the meadow to determine if it can retain enough water to be used by the frogs. P ICNIC S ATURDAY, S EPT. 19 1 1 AM -2PM a t Ba yshore Anim a l H ospita l BAY SH O R E A N G EL FU N D Q u ilt R a ff le w ill ta k e pla ce Tick ets a re $1 ea . a t h betw een n ospita l ow a N eed n o t b n d Sept. 19th e p re sen t to w in P erfect fo r La b ra d o r lo vers o r h u n ters 325 S E M ARLIN AVEN UE, W ARREN TO N 503-861-1621 ba yshorea n im a lca re.com