NORTH COAST
SCHOOLS POST WINS
BRIDES
ON PARADE
SPORTS • 4A
PAGE 3A
143rd YEAR, No. 143
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
ONE DOLLAR
Ex-fi re
chief sues
over fi ring
Climate change
clues found in plants
Citizen scientists can help
national parks record changes
Balzer claims breach
of contract, wrongful
discharge, defamation
The Daily Astorian
CANN2N B(ACH ² The former ¿ re
chief in Cannon Beach has ¿ led a lawsuit
against the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Pro-
tection 'istrict alleging that his ¿ ring had
nothing to do with his job performance.
Mike Balzer, who
served as ¿ re chief
from January 2012 un-
til he was ¿ red in 2c-
tober, claims the ¿ re
district’s board retal-
iated against him be-
cause of critical com-
ments made by his
wife on social media.
He also alleges that
board directors made
Mike
comments about him
Balzer
after his ¿ ring that de-
famed him and damaged his reputation.
See BALZER, Page 10A
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Nancy Fernandez, a climate change intern with the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, speaks during the Nature Matters talk
at the Fort George Lovell Showroom on Thursday.
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
Fishing
family settles
lawsuit with
¿ sh agency
Family, wildlife of¿ cers
had history of bad blood
before roadside standoff
T
he National Parks Service is part-
nering with citizen scientists to
track when plant species À ower,
leaf out or set seed. The way plants grow
gives clues to changes in the environ-
ment and the impact of climate change.
“Plants, as we know, have the most
sensitive biological responses to climate
change,” Nancy Fernandez, a climate
change intern with Lewis and Clark
National Historical Park, said. “They
are sensitive to temperature change and
precipitation.”
Fernandez discussed plant respons-
es to climate change during a talk last
week at Fort George Lovell Showroom
in Astoria.
As a native of California’s Central
Valley, Fernandez said, she has seen
¿ rst hand drought conditions and plants
blooming earlier each spring.
“Plants have been seeing this for a
long time, longer than we have,” she
said.
Using data gathered by volunteer
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
See PLANTS, Page 10A
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park climate change intern Nancy Fernandez talks
about how plants respond to climate change.
By AUSTIN JENKINS
Northwest News Network
SEATTLE — Washington’s Department
of Fish and Wildlife formally acknowl-
edged Friday that it violated the constitu-
tional rights of two brothers who commer-
cially ¿ shed the Columbia River.
The agency’s admission of wrongdoing
is part of a settlement in a lawsuit that has
changed agency practices. It stems from a
traf¿ c stop nearly nine years ago in rural
southwest Washington.
The traf¿ c stop happened on the morn-
ing of March 23, 2007. The location was
tiny Wahkiakum County across the Colum-
bia River from Astoria. It was captured on
video.
Filming from inside a crew cab pickup
truck was the Tarabochia family: Father
Joe, 20-year old son Matthew, and 17-year
See LAWSUIT, Page 10A
Young actor is just one of
the guys waiting for Godot
Enter your baby
in The Daily
Astorian’s Cutest
Baby Contest for
2015
T
o break up the apparently aimless
conversation of the two main char-
acters in the North Coast production of
“Waiting for Godot,” more than one vis-
itor arrives to enliven and intrigue them.
It would spoil the surprise to reveal
whether one is the mysterious Godot, but
at some point they
do greet his mes-
senger.
Teenager Park-
er Fergus plays
that role in the
new production, which is being staged by
Partners for the PAC, the coalition of arts
groups dedicated to preserving the Clat-
sop Community College Performing Arts
Center at 16th Street and Franklin Avenue.
Fergus is an eighth-grader who at-
tends Broadway Middle School in
Seaside. His mother, Lisa Fergus, is a
See FERGUS, Page 10A
If your baby was born
between Jan 1st & Dec
31st
of
2015 ,
you
can
submit
your
newborn’s picture either via email at
classifieds@dailyastorian.com or drop by
one of our offices in Astoria or Seaside
and we can scan in the photo for you.
Submitted Photo
Parker Fergus, right, appears as the boy mes-
senger, and William Ham plays Vladimir in the
new Astoria production of “Waiting for Godot,”
which opens at the CCC Performing Arts Cen-
ter Friday and runs two weekends. “‘Godot’ has
endured because it’s highly entertaining,” Ham
said. “It is one of the saddest comedies and fun-
niest tragedies ever written for the stage.”
Deadline to enter is Tuesday,
January 26th at 5:00 pm .
Entries will be printed in The
Daily Astorian on January 29th.