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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2016)
AREA SCHOOLS TAKE THE COURTS GET READY TO CLAM SPORTS • 4A PAGE 3A 143rd YEAR, No. 140 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016 ONE DOLLAR Council rejects new cell tower PORT OF ASTORIA // AUDIT HARD WORK PAYS OFF Councilors side with forester who challenged Verizon project at Shively Park Review shows better fi nancial growth, with room for improvement By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian A new 150-foot Verizon Wireless commu- nications tower is not compatible with his- toric Shively Park, the Astoria City Council agreed Tuesday night, siding with a forester who showed that the visual impact would be greater than Verizon and the city had origi- nally portrayed. The City Council’s conclusion could po- tentially undo an agreement between the city and Verizon to move an aging communica- tions tower off Coxcomb Hill near the Asto- ria Column. The deal involves a new tower the city and Verizon would share at Reservoir Ridge that would improve the city’s emer- gency communications. Verizon, however, also wanted a monopole at Shively Park to enhance wireless coverage on the South Slope and other neighborhoods. “They still have their approvals for Reser- voir Ridge. So, I mean, it’s up to Verizon as to whether or not they continue on with the oth- er tower,” Brett Estes, the city manager, said. Michael Connors, a Portland attorney who represents Verizon, declined to comment on the company’s next steps. By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian F inancially, the Port of Astoria has much to celebrate, and much more work to do. A recently released audit shows WKH3RUWLPSURYHGLWVQHW¿QDQFLDO position by more than $1 million between July 1, 2014, and June 30, the agency’s PRVWUHFHQWFRPSOHWH¿VFDO\HDU “We’re seeing some positive trends here at the Port,” said accountant Jim Lanzarotta from Moss Adams LLP, hired by the Port to perform several of the agency’s audits, during an audit presentation at the Port Commission’s Tuesday meeting. The Port has now increased its net po- VLWLRQ WKUHH RI WKH ODVW ¿YH years, he said. New ac- counting standards put a damper on the Port’s $1 million increase in net po- VLWLRQ LQ ¿VFDO \HDU shearing $477,714 off to account for pension liabil- Jim ities in previous years. The Lanzarotta Port’s overall net position — assets minus liabilities — as of June 30 was just over $20.1 million. After losing money from operations for DWOHDVWIRXU¿VFDO\HDUVLQDURZWKH3RUWRI Astoria posted a $588,000 operational prof- LWRQWKH¿VFDO\HDUDXGLW0XFKRIWKH gains came from Astoria Forest Products’ expanded log-processing and -exporting operations on piers 3 and 1. The Port also VLJQL¿FDQWO\ LQFUHDVHG OHDVH DQG UHQWDO LQ come, such as the addition of Customs and %RUGHU3URWHFWLRQWRLWV3LHURI¿FHV$QG ZKLOH PDULQD UHYHQXHV DUH ÀDW /DQ]DURWWD said, there is a lot of room for growth there. Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian The Port of Astoria significantly increased its lease and rental income, including the addition of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in its Pier 1 office building. The Port of Astoria netted more than $588,000 from operations in fiscal year 2015, much of it from Astoria Forest Products’ log-processing and -exporting operations (below) on piers 3 and 1. Port of Astoria net financial position Here’s how the Port of Astoria’s net position changed between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015: Net operating revenues Net non-operating revenues Capital grants Future pension obligations Total net position, end of year Net position, beginning of year Difference (gain) Sources: Moss Adams LLP; Port of Astoria $588,118 $97,260 $359,068 -$477,714 See TOWER, Page 10A Seaside principal ready to retire $20.1 million $19.6 million $566,732 Administrator, teacher spent 26 years in South County EO Media Group graphic By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group Seaside High School Principal Sheila Ro- ley recently announced her plan to retire at the end of the 2015-16 school year, describ- ing her time with Seaside School District 10 DVD³IXO¿OOLQJZD\WRVSHQG the past 26 years.” “I have learned some- thing new every day,” Ro- ley wrote in her retirement request to Superintendent Doug Dougherty and the Sheila Roley district’s Board of Directors. “My opportunity to serve the students of the Seaside School District has ¿OOHGPHZLWKMR\JUDWLWXGHDQGKXPLOLW\´ The board formally accepted her resigna- tion during a regular meeting Tuesday. Her retirement is effective June 30. See PORT, Page 10A See ROLEY, Page 10A Enter your baby in The Daily Astorian’s Cutest Baby Contest for 2015 &Dnnon BeDFh VeeNV ¿ re Fhief who can do a bit of everything If your baby was born June timeline for hire ‘is very doable’ for board By ANDREW TONRY For EO Media Group CANNON BEACH — If everything goes according to plan, the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors hopes to hire and install a new Fire Chief by June . The timeline, proposed at a work session Tuesday, leaves little margin for error. “I think its very doable,” said interim Chief Jim Stea- rns, who will lead the search. “But it’s going to be a very busy time in here.” The timeline also supposes that an ongoing effort to recall three board members — in- cluding the board president — does not derail the process. The June 1 target date co- incides with the conclusion of Stearns’ six-month contract. Should a new chief fail to mate- rialize in that time, Stearns said he would remain available. “I’m not gonna walk off and leave you high and dry,” Stearns told the board. This will be Stearn s’ third time directing a chief’s hir ing. Before retiring as a full-time chief in Hermiston, Stearns between Jan 1st & Dec 31st of 2015 , you can submit your found his replacement. And in a situation similar to the one in Cannon Beach, Stearns led a search in Rogue River while acting as interim chief. newborn’s picture either via email at A little bit of everything Deadline to enter is Tuesday, January 26th at 5:00 pm . Entries will be printed in The Daily Astorian on January 29th. In guidelines put forth by Stearns and echoed by the board, Cannon Beach’s next ¿UHFKLHIZLOOQHHGWRGRDOLW tle bit of everything. Since arriving in Cannon Beach in November, Stearns came up with a saying to de- VFULEH WKH ¿UH GHSDUWPHQW¶V See CHIEF, Page 10A classifieds@dailyastorian.com or drop by one of our offices in Astoria or Seaside and we can scan in the photo for you.