Guide to North
Coast nonpro¿ ts
Pumpkin carving
in Cannon Beach
INSIDE
FRIDAY EXTRA • 1C
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015 • WEEKEND EDITION
143rd YEAR, No. 88
ONE DOLLAR
‘Pathway of desire’
Dan and Sue
Stein build
private park for
public pleasure
FALL BACK
Daylight Saving Time
ends on Sunday at 2 a.m.
when clocks are turned
backward one hour to 1 a.m.
Sunrise and sunset will be
earlier, which means more
light in the morning.
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
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sidewalks of the Skyline Avenue
neighborhood, Sue and Dan Stein in-
vite you take ten in their side yard.
No, really — just swing by, catch
your breath, rehydrate and take in the
view of downtown Astoria and the Co-
lumbia River.
Their place is pretty easy to spot: It’s
the one with the multi-level mini-park
on the corner of Skyline and West Grand
avenues. And it has become a neighbor-
hood novelty impossible to overlook.
With a refurbished drinking foun-
tain, two patios at different elevations
and large rocks to perch on, the Steins’
parkette-in-progress is designed to give
passers-by a place to cool off, socialize
or simply Zen out before moving on.
“It’s such a public space anyway,”
Sue said.
The couple plans to install benches
this spring, but the project — which is
half residential park, half ornamental
garden and occupies about half an acre
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“It is private property, but people are
welcome to enjoy it,” Dan said. “It’s for
short stays — 15, 20 minutes.”
I
TOP TO BOTTOM: Sue and
Dan Stein and their dogs
Olive Oil, left, and Herb sit
in their parkette located on
Skyline Avenue.
One feature of the par-
kette, a working water
fountain, helps quench the
thirst of passing visitors.
The parkette offers a view
of downtown Astoria and
the Columbia River. The
Stein’s plan to eventually
install benches .
Photos by Joshua Bessex
The Daily Astorian
See PARK, Page 8A
LNG,
Corps
tiff OK
with
FERC
Commission’s
review can proceed
during land dispute
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
The Federal Energy Regulato-
ry Commission is well aware that
the land on Warrenton’s Skipanon
Peninsula where Oregon LNG
wants to build a liquefied natu-
ral gas facility is the subject of a
property dispute between the com-
pany and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
Does the dispute affect the
commission’s decision on whether
to authorize Oregon LNG to move
forward with the proposed $6 bil-
lion terminal and pipeline project?
No.
The commission said as much
to U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici in
response to a letter the congress-
woman and U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden
and Jeff Merkley sent FERC last
month stressing that Oregon
LNG’s design plans collide with
a nearly 60-year-old Army Corps
easement.
Property disputes lie outside
the commission’s expertise and
jurisdiction, the letter states. And,
in any case, the commission does
not require that an applicant, like
Oregon LNG, own the project site
when the application is filed.
Eventually, of course, the
See LNG, Page 9A
Bridge has small
span, big impact
Irving Avenue
Bridge reopens
important route
through city
By DERRICK
DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
One of Astoria’s most im-
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opened.
A new bridge on Irving
Avenue near 19th Street al-
lows drivers to once again
slice across the city, taking
pressure off of Marine Drive,
Commercial Street and other
high-volume corridors where
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The new 175-foot concrete
span, which replaced a steel
bridge built in 1946, is small
in scope. But Irving Avenue
is such a popular east-west
alternative route, especially
among local drivers, that clos-
ing the bridge for construction
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gestion.
See BRIDGE, Page 8A
Smith refuses mental health analysis
Told jail staff
she felt sick
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
Jessica Smith, accused
of drugging and murdering
her toddler and attempting to
kill her teenager in Cannon
Beach last year, has refused
a mental health evaluation
from a court-ordered psy-
chologist.
Dr. Paul Guastadisegni
attempted three times this
month to evaluate Smith .
Each time, Smith, an in-
mate in Tillamook County
Jail, told jail staff she felt
like she was going to throw
up and needed to
her attorney , Wil-
go back to her cell
liam Falls, and his
where she curled
co-counsel plan
up in a fetal posi-
to use a dimin-
tion and held tight
ished -capacity de-
fense.
to a rolled-up blan-
ket.
The
District
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“Smith’s phys-
argues foregoing
ical sickness and
the state’s evalua-
possible
nausea
tion could have le-
was caused by
Jessica
gal consequences,
anxiety of par-
Smith
where the judge
ticipating in the
court -ordered evaluation,” could decide to throw out ex-
Jail Division Sgt. Brand pert testimony on diminished
capacity during the trial in
Roberts wrote in a report.
Smith has a right not to June.
Smith is accused of ag-
be examined. However, the
Clatsop County District At- gravated murder and at-
WRUQH\¶V 2I¿FH DOVR KDV D tempted aggravated murder
right to have a state psychol-
See SMITH, Page 9A
ogist evaluate Smith because