THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015
NORTH COAST
3A
New Christmas tree checkoff fees fund promotion
Growers will
self-report
assessment of
15 cents per tree
By MATEUSZ
PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
As the Christmas tree har-
vest gets underway, leaders of
a new promotional program
are preparing to collect check-
off fees from farmers for the
¿UVWWLPH
While slumping partic-
ipation doomed voluntary
programs in the past, board
members of the nationwide
Christmas Tree Promotion
Board expect most growers
will comply with the mandato-
ry assessment of 15 cents per
tree.
“It’s backed up by the
USDA, so I think most peo-
ple will take it seriously,” said
Mark Arkills, a board member
and production manager for
Holiday Tree Farms, a major
tree grower based in Corvallis.
The program’s staff has
been compiling a database of
contact information for eligible
tree growers around the U.S.
and will soon send instruc-
tions for paying the checkoff
fee, said Tim O’Connor, the
board’s executive director.
“We’ve been scouring the
industry to get every name we
can get,” he said.
Once the checkoff funds
begin coming in, the board
will begin reviewing proposals
from advertising agencies for
the most effective ways of pro-
moting the crop, said Arkills.
Investment in the
industry
Consumer focus groups of
PLOOHQQLDOV DQG DUWL¿FLDO WUHH
buyers show that the main
challenge for real Christmas
trees is they’re perceived to be
PRUHGLI¿FXOWWRDFTXLUHWDNH
home and set up, O’Connor
said.
However, real trees have an
advantage in the family expe-
rience that’s associated with
picking and cutting them, he
said.
To compare, taking an ar-
WL¿FLDO WUHH RXW RI WKH DWWLF RU
basement isn’t much of a fam-
ily event, he said. “It gives us
VRPHWKLQJ WKH DUWL¿FLDO WUHH
can never do.”
While this year has fo-
cused on building the struc-
ture of the checkoff program,
in 2016 experts will use such
information to craft a message
that will motivate consumers,
said Malone. “It’s an activity
that really does bring people
together.”
Most farmers will hopeful-
ly view the payments — which
will be due by mid-February
— as an investment in the in-
dustry, which is competing
ZLWK DUWL¿FLDO WUHHV IURP &KL-
na, board members said.
“It just seems absolutely
necessary for the long-term
lifetime of our industry,” said
Betty Malone, a board mem-
ber and owner of Sunrise Tree
Farm near Philomath.
The board will conduct
random and targeted audits
to ensure growers are proper-
ly paying their fees, since the
program has the authority to
subpoena and review business
records, O’Connor said.
“We have a lot to learn yet
because we’ve never gone
through our collection pro-
cess,” he said.
Farmers who don’t pay
their fees are subject to civ-
Real trees, family
experience
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press
Workers load Christmas trees onto a truck in this Capital Press file photo. Farmers will
be assessed 15 cents per tree after the 2015 harvest to fund a national checkoff program
aimed at promoting the crop, which competes with fake trees from China.
il penalties, though the exact
amounts have yet to be deter-
mined, he said.
The goal is to ensure every-
one in the industry is paying
their fair share, which is what
distinguishes the mandato-
ry program from past efforts,
O’Connor said. “Free riders
always bring down a voluntary
program.”
The board expects to raise
about $2 million a year for
research and promotion, but
it’s currently operating on a
line of credit and prepayments
Josephson’s Smokehouse joins seafood recall
Salmon,
sturgeon and
tuna affected
The Daily Astorian
Josephson’s Smokehouse
of Astoria is voluntarily re-
calling nine canned seafood
products — salmon, sturgeon
and tuna — it received from
Skipanon Brand Seafood of
Warrenton because the food
may cause botulism, a form of
food-poisoning that can cause
life-threatening illness or
death, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration announced.
The decision continues the
ongoing recall of canned Ski-
panon Brand Seafood prod-
ucts that began earlier this
month when Mark Kujala,
owner of Skipanon and mayor
of Warrenton, initiated a vol-
untary recall of all Skipanon
products, after a routine FDA
inspection noted a lack of doc-
umentation and possibly un-
derprocessed products.
Bornstein Seafoods of As-
toria and Ecola Seafoods of
Cannon Beach recently re-
called Skipanon’s products, as
well.
The recalled products had
been distributed to wholesal-
ers and retailers in Oregon,
Washington state, Nevada and
Michigan and sold over the
Internet to customers nation-
wide, Skipanon said.
Kujala said the Skipanon
recall is a precautionary mea-
sure. No cases of illness asso-
ciated with Skipanon’s prod-
ucts have been reported. The
FDA warned consumers not to
use the product even if it does
not look or smell spoiled.
Josephson’s is recalling
products sold to consumers
from the business’s retail store
in Astoria and to mail-order
customers through www.jo-
sephsons.com and telephone
orders, the FDA said. Mail-or-
der sales went to individual
customers and were not for
resale.
The business has identi-
¿HG DOO UHFLSLHQWV RI WKH UH-
called products through in-
house in-voicing and Yahoo
shopping webstore invoicing
system. These recipients are
being contacted by email, tele-
phone and mail with the recall
information, which is pub-
lished on Josephson’s website
and displayed on placards in
the retail store.
Josephson’s will replace re-
turned cans with products that
have been produced at a dif-
ferent processor location. The
recalled cans for replacement
can be brought to the retail
store or mailed to Josephson’s
Smokehouse; 106 Marine Dr.,
Astoria, Oregon, 97103.
Customers who have pur-
chased recalled canned sea-
food products are urged to
destroy them or return them to
WKH¿UPIRUDUHSODFHPHQW
For questions, call Joseph-
son’s Smokehouse at 503-325-
2190 between 9 a.m. and 2
p.m., Monday through Friday.
Lewis and Clark Elementary on brief lockdown
The Daily Astorian
Lewis and Clark Elementary School in
Astoria was in lockdown Tuesday morning
after a report of a man walking toward the
VFKRROZLWKDULÀH
The man, of the Lewis and Clark area, was
contacted by the Clatsop County Sheriff’s
2I¿FHRQDORJJLQJURDGWKDWUXQVEHKLQGWKH
school.
The man was walking on an early morning
deer hunt. The man and his firearms were run
through law enforcement databases and every-
thing was in order, according to the sheriff’s office.
7KH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH DGYLVHG WKH KXQWHU
of the current climate of concerns related to
weapons near schools.
Astoria Police and Oregon State Police re-
sponded to assist on the call. Lewis and Clark
Elementary was in lockdown for a short peri-
od until the incident was investigated.
of checkoff fees from some
growers, said Jim Heater, a
board member and owner of
Silver Mountain Christmas
Trees in Sublimity.
“We have to watch our pen-
nies, because we’re not going to
be a real big checkoff,” he said.
Astoria man arrested in
heroin overdose case
sponded to the scene. The
exact cause of
A 26-year-old
Norris’ death is
Astoria man was
pending toxicol-
arrested Saturday
ogy results from
for delivery of
the Oregon State
heroin in connec-
Medical Examin-
tion to an over-
HU¶V2I¿FH
dose death of a
Also found at
the scene was 26
24-year-old War-
-year-old Caitlynn
renton man.
Walters, who was
Sean Hill was
arrested for an
LGHQWL¿HG DV WKH
Sean
unrelated felony
person who al-
Hill
arrest warrant.
legedly provided
Upon his arrest, Hill was
heroin to Matthew Norris,
who was found unrespon- also found to be in posses-
sive Friday at a residence sion of methamphetamine
on the 4600 block of Cedar and was charged with pos-
session of methamphet-
Street in Astoria.
Astoria Police and Fire amine.
Anyone with additional
Departments and Medix
Ambulance responded and information regarding the
upon arrival found Norris case is asked to contact De-
dead from an apparent her- tective Nicole Riley of the
Astoria Police Department
oin overdose.
The Clatsop County at 503-298-2533 or by email
Medical Examiner also re- at nriley@astoria.or.us.
The Daily Astorian
W A NTED
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A
W in a free $200
Gift Ca rd
Sh a re yo u r o p in io n a b o u t Th e D a ily Asto ria n a n d D a ilyAsto ria n .co m
a n d yo u ’ll a u to m a tica lly b e en tered in to a d ra w in g to receive a $200 VISA g ift ca rd
Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500
G u ess w h a t d a y it is!
It’s Hump’s Day!!!
No reservations, please
AT HUMP’S RESTAURANT
EV ERY W ED N ESD AY 4 -8 PM
14 OUN CE N EW Y ORK
STEAK & BAK ED POTATO
$9.95
M ust present coupon to server.
N ot va lid w ith other offers.
All You Can Eat Chicken & Dumplings- Thursdays 4-8 pm $6.95
Prime Rib Fridays- starts at 5pm $9.95
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
N OW O PEN
Frida y & Sa turda y
6a m -10pm
Video
T h e D a ily Astoria n is dedica ted to brin gin g you th e best in n ew s,
en terta in m en t a n d a dvertisin g fea tures from a cross th e Colum bia -P a cific
region . T h e w a y you get your n ew s a n d in form a tion is con sta n tly ch a n gin g
so w e strive to sta y a h ea d of th ese ch a n ges.
To h elp us brin g you a n even better n ew spa per a n d w ebsite, w e’re
con ductin g a sh ort rea der survey of our subscribers a n d n on subscribers.
W e’re in vitin g you to be a pa rt of th a t survey.
W e a p p recia te yo u ta k in g th e tim e to co m p lete th e qu estio n n a ire. As a th a n k yo u , a t th e en d
o f th e su rvey, yo u ca n en ter a d ra w in g to w in a $200 VISA g ift ca rd .
Tu e sda y, O c to be r 27 th
A L L F O O D • A L L D A Y
H A L F P R IC E!
T h e con ta ct in form a tion you provide
w ill on ly be used for th e dra w in g. W e
w on ’t ren t or sell th is in form a tion to
a n y outside en tity. T h e survey is bein g
con ducted for resea rch purposes on ly.
Y our in dividua l respon ses w ill be kept
strictly con fiden tia l a n d n o solicita tion
w ill occur due to your respon se.
Th e Fra nk fa m ily a nd sta ff a t N orm a ’s
w ish to th a nk Y O U , ou r loya l pa trons.
“ A M ER IC A ’S B EST SEA F O O D ”
U S N ew s/ Tra vel
R egiona l W ine List & Sea sona l M icrobrew s
Se nio r N ig hts sta rts N o v. 2 nd !
F ro m n o w u n til Octo b er 3 0, 2015 ,
yo u m a y a ccess th e su rvey o n lin e a t
w w w.D a ilyAsto ria n .co m /d a /rea d ersu rvey
Th a n k yo u fo r h elp in g u s to m a k e th e D a ily Asto ria n a n d D a ilyAsto ria n .co m
even m o re va lu a b le to th e co m m u n ities th a t we serve.
1 BLOCK OFF BROADWAY • 1 BLOCK FROM BEACH
20 N. COLUMBIA, SEASIDE • 503-738-4331
www.NormasSeaside.com