COCKTAILS
FOR A CAUSE
AHS HALL OF FAME
INDUCTEES
COAST WEEKEND
SPORTS • 7A
143rd YEAR, No. 141
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
ONE DOLLAR
Port tries dancing the sea lions away
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latest bid to get sea
lions to skedaddle
The Port Commission has ap-
proved buying two air dancers to
act like dockside scarecrows in the
agency’s latest endeavor to shoo sea
lions out of the East End Mooring
Basin.
By EDWARD STRATTON
The suggestion came from Port
The Daily Astorian
Commissioner James Campbell,
who said the “bo geymen” had suc-
The Port of Astoria has tried sur- cessfully scared away sea lions in
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mats and fake orcas to scare away sea ships, bargain stores, halftime shows
OLRQV:K\QRWLQÀDWDEOHDLUGDQFHUV" and concerts, the nylon, tube-shaped
Gearhart
party barn
takes a
break
No commercial events
this winter at Neacoxie
Barn in Gearhart
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
GEARHART — There won’t be any
weddings or special events at Neacoxie
Barn in Gearhart, at least until March .
Clatsop County Circuit Court Judge
Cindee Matyas signed a temporary injunc-
tion Tuesday prohibiting owner Shannon
Smith from using the barn for commercial
events. The injunction provides an oppor-
tunity for a “cooling-off period” after years
of rancor and legal disputes between Smith
and the city.
According to the agreement, Smith is
subject to a temporary
injunction pledging
not to use the barn for
future events without
the necessary permits,
Gearhart City Manag-
er Chad Sweet said.
“We’re doing our
best to help it out in any
way, in terms of con-
versations,” Sweet said
Tuesday. “There are
Shannon
still things she needs to
Smith
do that we can’t bend
on having to do with public safety.”
“This agreement was a way to secure a
February mediation type of sit-down with
the city with all experts — something that
I have asked for multiple times over the
years,” Smith said via email Wednesday.
“The property is not used in winter anyway.”
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coxie Creek, is used for weddings, family
reunions and other commercial events, ac-
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ditional use permit and a building occupan-
cy permit, the owners are putting the health
and safety of guests and residents at risk.
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Moss Landing Harbor in Monte-
rey Bay, California, bought several
air dancers and spread them along
docks to discourage about 600 sea
lions that had taken up residence.
Harbor master Linda McIntyre said
the air dancers, an idea she gleaned
from farmers trying to scare away
birds, provided an effective deterrent
to sea lions, at least initially.
“Almost everything works for a
day or two,” she said. “It’s too bad
they’re so smart.”
The sea lions eventually learn
the game, she said, so her staff has
turned to paintball guns, a hazing
method allowed by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration, in combination with the air
dancers.
“And when you come into the
harbor and see those air dancers, they
put a smile on your face,” she said.
“They’re hilarious little clowns.”
Text-to-911
coming
to Astoria
West Coast issue
Campbell’s suggestion of the air
dancers came amid a larger discus-
sion Tuesday about forming a sea
lion committee to lobby the feder-
al government for more options to
control the animal’s population and
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Commissioner Bill Hunsinger, a
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new committee his pet project.
See SEA LIONS, Page 10A
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Jeff Rusiecki, 911 c om-
munications M anager,
shows the current
message that ap-
pears when you
text 911.
New system could be ready in three
to six months, also for Warrenton
“Up and down the Columbia
River, we work very closely with
them, so it just makes sense that
storia Dispatch will be we should adopt the technology
RQH RI WKH ¿UVW HPHU to move forward,” Rusiecki said.
gency call centers in the
The W eb-based system will be
state to receive text messages, a Windows application operated
opening an alternative lifeline by a third-party provider, Tele-
during domestic violence, home Communication Systems. The
invasions or other critical situa- system will be compatible with
tions when making a phone call what is used in Washington state.
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The third-party system will
The local dispatch center route text messages and send
is part of a partnership that in- them to the correct 911 center.
cludes Multnomah, Clackamas, A ny attachments such as pictures
Washington, Columbia and Clark and videos will be stripped off.
counties along with the city of
Eventually, the state will de-
Woodburn.
velop its own system for the
The Portland Dispatch Cen- 43 dispatch centers and will be
ter Consortium plans to have a able to accept texts without a
W eb-based system set up in about third-party connector.
three to six months to receive text
Meanwhile, the contract with
messages from cellphones.
TeleCommunication Systems is
Unveiling a statewide move still being coordinated.
toward text messages was not
Costs are being covered by the
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
feasible. Instead, the state has state and by the 75-cent surcharge
Jeff Rusiecki, 911 c ommunications m anager, shows the monitor
agreed to fund a pilot project and fee paid by cellphone users.
begin rolling out the program re-
Astoria Dispatch’s only cost system used in the dispatch center at the Astoria Police Department.
gionally with the hope of being would be buying another mon-
border-to-border by 2018.
itor. T he center already has the
Jeff Rusiecki, Astoria 911 additional capability so no local
‘If I get a call that needs to go
communications manager, said funds will be spent.
it makes sense that the Port-
“We were very careful to make across to Pacifi c or Washington
ODQGPHWUR DUHD EH WKH ¿UVW LQ sure everyone was on the same
County, we can send it over to
the state since the centers border platform,” Rusiecki said. “If I get
Washington state, which has al- a call that needs to go across to
them just like we can with a
ready started using text-to-911. 3DFL¿F RU :DVKLQJWRQ &RXQW\
Astoria Dispatch regularly re- we can send it over to them just
voice call.’
FHLYHV FDOOV IURP 3DFL¿F :DK like we can with a voice call.”
kiakum, Cowlitz and Clark coun-
Jeff Rusiecki
Astoria 911 communications manager
See TEXT-TO-911, Page 10A
ties in Washington.
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
A
See PARTY BARN, Page 10A
‘No such thing as a seagull’
Enter your baby
in The Daily
Astorian’s Cutest
Baby Contest for
2015
Wildlife expert
talks about
northern fulmars
and other birds
If your baby was born
between Jan 1st & Dec
31st
of
2015 ,
you
can
submit
your
By ANDREW R. TONRY
For EO Media Group
newborn’s picture either via email at
CANNON BEACH —
“There’s no such thing as a
seagull,” said Josh Saranpaa
with a wry smile. “If you hear
anyone say that, slap them
across the face.”
The room burst into laugh-
ter, and a cheeky member of
the audience joined in the
joke.
“But I saw a seagull eating
DVWDU¿VK´WKHPDQRIIHUHG
While there may be no
such thing as a “seagull,” there
are, however, many different
one of our offices in Astoria or Seaside
classifieds@dailyastorian.com or drop by
and we can scan in the photo for you.
Andrew R. Tonry /For EO Media Group
Common murres, one of many seabirds found on Hay-
stack Rock. The murres lay their eggs directly on the rock,
not in a nest.
species of gulls — laughing
gulls, ivory gulls, California
gulls, slaty-backed gulls and
so on. Those found most often
in Cannon Beach are known
as northern fulmars.
One of them was in the
Cannon Beach Library last
week, along with three other
species. They were brought by
See SEABIRDS, Page 10A
Deadline to enter is Tuesday,
January 26th at 5:00 pm .
Entries will be printed in The
Daily Astorian on January 29th.