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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
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position by more than $1 million between
July 1, 2014, and June 30, the agency’s
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“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-
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years, he said. New ac-
counting standards put a
damper on the Port’s $1
million increase in net po-
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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
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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.