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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2016)
PROTESTERS STILL DEFIANT FISHERMEN SCORE BIG WIN PAGE 5A 143rd YEAR, No. 150 SPORTS • 7A WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016 ONE DOLLAR A whale of a mystery Marine experts seek answers in death of humpback By KYLE SPURR and KATHERINE LACAZE The Daily Astorian and EO Media Group Resources ‘exhausted,’ police chief says S EASIDE — The dead 24-foot humpback whale that washed ashore on the north end of Seaside’s beach Sunday caused quite a stir. A couple of dozen onlookers stopped to watch Tuesday as a team of marine experts from Port- land State University and Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network volunteers performed a necropsy on the animal, which had been moved slightly inland and north on the beach. Some came to town speci¿ cally to see the whale. The team collected biolog- ical samples that will be used to help determine a cause of death. If there are no “smoking guns,” such as bullet holes or something stuck in the mammal’s throat, then it can take days or weeks to deter- mine a cause of death, said Keith Chandler, the general manager of Seaside Aquarium. It was clear the animal did not die from old age, as it was only about a year old, Chandler said. He said it is not unusual to see a whale wash ashore on the North Coast, but they tend to be gray whales. Humpbacks are rare — Chandler said he has only see a few in his 20 years with the stranding network — but the species was spotted in nearby waters recently. Hopes fade in search for man By LYRA FONTAINE EO Media Group Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Jason Hussa, left, Mollie Schmidt, center, and Melinda Essig, right, volunteers with the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, perform a necropsy of the whale while bystanders watch Tuesday. More photos at www.dailyastorian.com LEFT: A vol- unteer makes a measure- ment near the eye of the whale car- cass during a necropsy Tuesday. BELOW: Volunteers and research- ers with the Oregon Ma- rine Mammal Stranding Network and Portland State University make mea- surements of the whale car- cass during a necropsy Tuesday. See WHALE, Page 10A CANNON BEACH — After a search that brought in crews from throughout the state, of¿ cials announced they will curtail major efforts in Cannon Beach to ¿ nd Raymond Hickman, t he 87-year-old Haystack Heights man who was reported missing Saturday morning. “As the fourth day ends, we’ve exhausted all different outlets that Jason we could go to and that Schermerhorn we could access, as well as just exhausted our resources,” Cannon Beach Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn said at Tuesday’s Cannon Beach City Council meeting. Throughout the week, rescue teams from Clatsop , Wash- ington , Tillamook , Multnomah and Clack- amas counties and Mountain Wave Search and Rescue scoured the coastline, highways and trails. About 75 people helped with the search, using four-wheel -drive vehicles, horses, and a drone from a Hamlet resident that À ew over areas they couldn’t access and took photos that were extensively reviewed, Schermerhorn said. See SEARCH, Page 10A Alliance wants tobacco off limits until 21 By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau Hold the pickles for this sport Seaside rec district offers pickleball for all skills, ages By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group SEASIDE — Pickle- ball doesn’t have a lot, or really anything, to do with pickles. It’s a simple volley game, similar to a slow- moving version of tennis that uses shorter paddles, a light perforated plastic ball and a badminton-sized court. Community members on the North Coast can learn more about the game, thanks to a new program being offered through a partner- ship of the USA Pickleball Association and the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District. The program, held at the Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center gymna- sium, started in January with demonstrations and instructions. It’s not too late to get in on the fun, though. The group is meeting every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Feb. 20. See PICKLEBALL, Page 5A SALEM — A coalition of 20 health orga- nizations has launched a campaign to combat a sobering trend: About seven kids every day become new smokers in Oregon. The coalition wants state lawmakers to raise the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21 in an effort to keep it out of high schools. The Institute of Medicine projects that law change would reduce smoking by about 25 percent among 15- to 17-year-olds. Hawaii in December 2015 became the ¿ rst state to pass such a law, and the idea is gaining traction in more than 100 municipal- ities around the country, from New York City to Kansas City, Mo. California and New Jersey had similar proposals in its legislatures earlier this year. In Oregon, a couple of lawmakers have already tried to pitch the idea. Most recently, Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, moved legislation in 2015. The bill stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee as other issues took priority. See TOBACCO, Page 10A Katherine Lacaze/ EO Media Group Lauren Fisher, of Seaside, got her first taste of pickleball during a session at the Camp Rilea gymnasium in Warrenton. DAILY LISTINGS INSIDE • 5A
