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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016
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parties agreed to a new case
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any additional claims by Feb.
26, complete general discov-
ery by July 31 and complete
expert disclosures and submit
By EDWARD STRATTON any joint alternate resolutions
in the case by Oct. 31.
The Daily Astorian
The lawsuits stem from a
'XHOLQJ ODZVXLWV ¿OHG LQ log-handling contract entered
July by Murphy Overseas USA nearly two years ago by the
and Westerlund Log Handlers parties, in which Westerlund
against each other are trudging Log Handlers was to transport,
store, process and prepare logs
forward in federal court.
7KHFDVHV¿OHGRQWKHVDPH procured by Astoria Forest
day in state and federal court, Products, a subsidiary of Mur-
were consolidated in U.S. Dis- phy Overseas, for shipment.
Two days after the parties
trict Court in August.
Deposition of witnesses is entered their contract, Roger
ongoing, and during a status Nance sent a letter to terminate
conference in November, the Westerlund Log Handlers’ ex-
Companies at
odds over log
handling deal
isting partnership with China
National Building Materials,
a large, state-owned corpora-
tion for which Westerlund Log
Handlers had been procuring
and exporting logs since 2012.
In the letter, he claimed irrevo-
cable breaches of their agree-
ment.
Murphy Overseas provided
Nance and Westerlund money
for their resulting litigation
with China National, which
was settled in late 2014.
Cut out?
David Westerlund and
Nance, the CEO and vice pres-
ident of Westerlund Log Han-
dler’s, claim they were cut out
of the joint venture resulting
from the break with China Na-
tional.
They allege agents from
Murphy Overseas recom-
mended Westerlund Log
Handlers terminate its agree-
ment with China National.
In exchange, Westerlund’s
and Nance’s suit alleges, they
were to be paid $21,000 and
$16,000 a month, respectively,
along with $107 per million
board feet of timber sold by
Astoria Forest Products and 30
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Murphy Overseas’ suit
against Nance, Westerlund and
Westerlund Log Handlers al-
leges Astoria Forest Products
covered expenses on behalf
of Westerlund for its log-han-
Port Commission vote
dling, vendors, stevedores,
employees, legal fees with
China National, rent on West-
erlund Log Handler’s Lewis
and Clark log yard, a wastewa-
ter treatment plant on the log
yard and past-due payments to
the Port of Astoria.
To secure payments made
on behalf of Westerlund Log
Handlers, Murphy’s case al-
leges, it entered into a co-ten-
ancy agreement with West-
erlund Log Handlers and
the Port. The suit alleges the
Port later terminated Wester-
lund Log Handler’s lease and
transferred it to Astoria Forest
Products, in exchange for the
company paying off past-due
bills.
In March 2014, the Port
Commission voted to make
Astoria Forest Products a sub-
lessee of Westerlund Log Han-
dlers, taking over all its obliga-
tions in the case of default. By
April 2014, Murphy Overseas
and Astoria Forest Products
had acquired Westerlund Log
Handler’s leases, most of its
operation and its employees.
Astoria Forest Products
still processes logs on Pier 3
and exports them off of Pier 1
at the Port.
Westerlund Log Handlers’
former log yard in Lewis and
Clark, put up for auction, is
now owned by Warrenton Fi-
ber Co.
CODmminJ DSSroveG Ior /onJ BeDFK PeninsuOD Suspect sought in
Eight days of
armed robbery case
razor clam digs
at Long Beach
and Copalis
The Daily Astorian
Oregon State Police are
investigating a reported
armed robbery that occurred
between 5:45 a.m. and 7:20
a.m. Dec. 21 at the Deer Is-
land Scales on U.S. Highway
30 near milepost 33.
Police are seeking the
public’s assistance to identify
those involved.
According to state police,
a 60-year-old St. Helens man
stopped his black Chevy pick-
up near the Deer Island Scales
to assist a disabled motorist
when he was robbed and as-
saulted. He was eventually
helped by a good Samaritan.
The suspect’s vehicle is
described as a dark colored
Toyota type SUV, with un-
known Idaho license plates
EO Media Group
OLYMPIA, Wash. — State
VKHOO¿VK PDQDJHUV KDYH DS-
proved razor clam digs start-
ing later this week at Long
Beach and Copalis Beach.
The Washington Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife con-
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toxin tests showed the clams
on those two beaches are safe
to eat. All other beaches re-
main closed to recreational
razor clam digging.
Digs at both beaches are
on evening tides and include
a two-day opening — Fri-
day and Saturday — at Co-
palis and an eight-day dig
— Thursday to Jan. 14 — at
Long Beach.
“The season opener at Co-
palis over the Christmas holi-
day was a huge success with
PRVWGLJJHUV¿OOLQJWKHLUOLP-
its,” said Dan Ayres, coastal
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partment of Fish and Wildlife.
“We’re excited that we can
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time this season.”
Razor clam digging will
remain closed on Washing-
ton’s other coastal beaches
until domoic acid levels drop
below the threshold (20 parts
per million) set by state public
KHDOWKRI¿FLDOV
Domoic acid posed a
SUREOHP IRU VKHOO¿VK ¿VKHU-
ies along Washington’s coast
for much of 2015. The natu-
ral toxin produced by certain
types of marine algae can be
harmful or even fatal if con-
W A NTED
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
EO Media Group
PORTLAND — Oregon
residents looking to enter the
recreational marijuana busi-
ness can now apply for a li-
cense.
The Oregonian reported
that the license paperwork
became available Monday
morning. At noon, 70 people
had submitted the forms.
Oregon has no limit to the
number of grower or retailer
licenses it will issue. A report
by the liquor control commis-
N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A
After a three-month delay, razor clam digging will get off to a fast start this week with
eight straight days approved by the state.
Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500
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Cooking or freezing does not
destroy domoic acid in shell-
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The state is continuing to
monitor toxin levels on all
Washington beaches and will
open other areas as soon as
clams are safe to eat.
The upcoming dig is
scheduled on the following
dates, beaches, and low tides:
• Thursday, 4:57 p.m.; 0.1
feet, Long Beach
• Friday, 5:37 p.m.; -0.4
feet, Long Beach, Copalis
• Saturday, 6:16 p.m.; -0.8
feet, Long Beach, Copalis
B RIDGE L ESSON S - R - U S
• Sunday, 6:55 p.m.; -1.0
feet, Long Beach
• Monday, 7:34 p.m.; -1.0
feet, Long Beach
• Jan. 12, Tuesday, 8:14
p.m.; -0.8 feet, Long Beach
• Jan. 13, Wednesday, 8:56
p.m.; -0.4 feet, Long Beach
• Jan. 14, Thursday, 9:40
p.m.; 0.2 feet, Long Beach
Ayres noted the best dig-
ging usually occurs one to two
hours prior to low tide.
Under state law, diggers
can take 15 razor clams per
day and are required to keep
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ger’s clams must be kept in a
State taking applications for recreational pot licenses
Associated Press
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family with an adult, an ani-
mal and two kids on the left
corner of the rear window ref-
erencing a dysfunctional fam-
ily, according to state police.
The suspect is described as
a white man in his mid-20s,
5’10” tall, with slicked-back
blond hair, a large round ear
lobe piercing. He was wear-
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dark fur around the hood and
black cargo style pants.
State police are asking
for the public’s assistance
with locating the suspect, the
suspect’s vehicle, the good
Samaritan and anyone who
may have seen the suspect
vehicle parked at the Deer Is-
land Scales. Contact the OSP
dispatch center at 1-800-452-
7888.
sion estimates the state will
issue 850 recreational mar-
ijuana licenses by the end of
2017.
G u ess w h a t d a y it is!
It’s Hump’s Day!!!
AT HUMP’S RESTAURANT
EV ERY W ED N ESD AY 4 -8 PM
No reservations, please
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
A reception to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of
B OB & G ERRY S WENSON
will be held on Saturday, January 9th, 2016 from 2 to 6pm
at the Astoria Elk’s Ballroom,
453 11th Street
Old school chums, past
co-workers, Gerry’s former
math students, neighbors and
friends are invited to come
share food, drink, and
reminisce.
No gifts please.
Video
separate container.
All diggers age 15 or old-
er must have an applicable
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harvest razor clams on any
beach. Licenses, ranging from
a three-day razor clam license
WRDQDQQXDOFRPELQDWLRQ¿VK-
ing license, are available on
WDFW’s website at https://
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license vendors around the
state.
More information about
razor clams is available on
WDFW’s website at http://
wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shell-
¿VKUD]RUFODPVFXUUHQWKWPO
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