DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016
143RD YEAR, NO. 169
ONE DOLLAR
Activist
proud of
CB recall
petition
MESSY RUCKUS
AT SUNSET LAKE
‘If you don’t speak up,
you can’t complain’
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
County, DEQ
demand changes at
low-income RV park
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
W
ARRENTON — Sunset Lake Resort &
RV 3ark, a controversial low-income
housing center in a bucolic, lakefront set-
ting south of Warrenton, faces several challenges
from outside and in.
The state Department of Environmental
Quality has ¿ ned the park’s owner, Ken Hick’s
Resources Northwest Inc., over sewage over-
À ow for the third time in two years, ordering the
company to lower the À ows or decommission the
park’s sewage system. Meanwhile, the county is
trying to replace Hick with a receiver, while one
resident under an eviction notice has been protest-
ing just outside the park entrance.
Photos by Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian
Sunset Lake Resort & RV Park south of Warrenton faces the decommis-
sioning of its failing septic system by the state, while the county wants to
replace the owner, Resources Northwest Inc., with a receiver.
Bad septic
“Since September of 2015, the system has been
failing,” said Esther Westbrook, an environmental
law specialist with the state, about the sewage sys-
tem at Sunset Lake. “It’s been discharging sew-
age that’s either untreated or partially treated into
the ground. That’s what happens when there’s too
much waste coming through the system.”
The park has a 4,500 -gallon-a-day À ow limit
under its Water 3ollution Control Facilities permit.
But Westbrook said the park has intermittently been
topping the limit since 2009, with reports showing
the park has been over the limit every month last
year. The most recent penalty was $6,825 for sew-
age overÀ ows and operating a failing system. The
penalty included a compliance order saying the
park has to consistently lower the À owage to allow-
able levels by March 15 or decommission the entire
sewage system by April 15.
See RV PARK, Page 12A
CANNON BEACH — The petition
drive to remove three Cannon Beach Rural
Fire 3rotection District directors was driven
by the efforts of Cannon Beach resident
Susan Neuwirth, angered by the sudden ¿ r-
ing of former Chief Mike Balzer in October.
“I never wanted to do
this,” Neuwirth said .
“But at the end of the
day, I’m proud of it.
Too often people sit
around and bitch and
moan about local pol-
itics. If you don’t go
to meetings and you
don’t speak up, you
can’t complain.”
Susan
Board of direc-
Neuwirth
tors 3resident Sha-
ron Clyde, Linda
Beck-Sweeney and Garry Smith are named
in the recall petition; a fourth director, Bob
Cerelli, who voted against Balzer’s removal,
was not. A ¿ fth director’s seat is vacant after
a retirement and remains to be ¿ lled.
Clyde, Beck-Sweeney and Smith have
until 5 p.m. Wednesday to either resign or
submit a written statement of Musti¿ cation to
the Clerk’s Of¿ ce.
See RECALL, Page 12A
ABOVE: Anthony Smith, a resident under an eviction notice at Sunset Lake
Resort & RV Park, has been protesting outside the park what he claims is
retaliation for his reporting of safety and health issues.
BELOW: State wastewater regulators say the septic system and drainage
field at Sunset Lake Resort & RV Park is failing and in danger of being
decommissioned because of too much flow .
No coal,
more sun
and wind
Competing energy
bills up for Senate vote
By HILLARY BORRUD
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Lawmakers in the Oregon
Senate could vote on two competing bills
Wednesday to double the state’s renewable
energy mandate, thanks to maneuvers by
Democrats and Republicans to either fast
track or delay the legislation.
The controversial legislation, which is
a top priority for utilities, environmental
groups and Democrats in both chambers,
could be among the last major policy pro-
posals lawmakers vote on before the end of
the short legislative session.
Both bills would require 3aci¿ Corp and
3ortland General Electric to use sources
such as solar and wind to serve 50 percent
of their customers’ energy demand by 2040.
The bills would also require the two inves-
tor-owned utilities to stop using coal power
to serve their Oregon customers.
However, there are also signi¿ cant
See ENERGY BILLS, Page 12A
Surviving spouses tax -break bill
heads to governor for signature
ony assault warrant. The fallen of¿ cer is
survived by his wife and two daughters.
The state House on Monday unan-
“This is not a mandatory require-
imously passed a bill that allows ment for counties, but it does give
counties to grant prop-
local government of¿ cials
erty tax breaks of up to
the option to waive prop-
$250,000 to the surviving
erty taxes in support of sur-
spouses of police of¿ cers
viving spouses,” state Rep.
and ¿ re¿ ghters killed in the
Deborah Boone, D-Can-
line of duty.
non Beach , said Friday.
The bill saw unani-
“As I think about the recent
mously support in the state
tragedy involving Seaside
Senate last month.
3olice Sgt. Jason Goodding,
The legislation could
I’m glad this legislation has
bene¿ t Seaside 3olice Sgt.
been receiving universal
Jason
Jason Goodding’s wife,
approval.”
Goodding
who would be eligible for
The bill, which now
the tax relief.
goes to Gov. Kate Brown,
Goodding was shot and killed last was also supported by a slew of law
month trying to arrest a man on a fel- enforcement associations.
The Daily Astorian
Recognition sought for
Goodding 911 dispatchers
Dispatch team worked without respite
were spelled by members
of outside agencies who
came in to ¿ ll their spots.
SEASIDE — When
Dispatchers however, only
Sgt. Jason Goodding was
a had a brief time to attend
the service and other func-
shot and killed the night of
tions, Brown said, but over-
Feb. 5, the ¿ rst person to
all they worked through
take the call was a Seaside
the week . “Anything that
police dispatcher.
comes in to the department
The dispatchers on duty
goes through them, calling
that night were veteran 911
Stacey
in and dispatching of¿ cers
operators, Dispatch Super-
Brown
to the incident, ” she said.
visor Stacey Brown . That
Brown
hopes
to
didn’t make their jobs any
encourage the community to
easier.
Over the next days, most Seaside
See DISPATCHERS, Page 12A
police and emergency responders
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian