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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 2016)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 The Battle of Punky Spruce New tree controversy County at odds with Bay Center residents over tree cutting By NATALIE ST. JOHN EO Media Group This is the second time in recent months that a contro- YHUV\KDVHUXSWHGRYHUWKHZD\ WKH FRXQW\ GHDOV ZLWK VSUXFH WUHHV:KHQ WKH 'HSDUWPHQW RI Public Works sent out a letter LQ2FWREHUDQQRXQFLQJSODQVWR remove numerous aging trees RQ 3DUN $YHQXH D JURXS RI Ocean Park residents strongly objected. They asked the county to have an arborist evaluate the trees before making any cuts. The county ultimately agreed to leave the trees alone. 'XULQJJDWKHULQJ0RQGD\DW WKHSDUNVLGHKRPHRI(ULFDQG Carolanne Watness, several Bay Center residents said county RI¿FLDOV VKRXOG KDYH OHDUQHG WKDW FLWL]HQV JUHDWO\ YDOXH WUHHV WKDW JURZ RQ SXEOLF ODQG DQG want to be included in decisions about how to manage them. Many of the residents feel WKDWWKHWUHHVLQ%XVK3DUNSUR- vided a much-needed windbreak in a neighborhood that some- WLPHVJHWVEDWWHUHGE\SRZHUIXO windstorms. Now that they are gone, they worry that increased wind volume will damage the remaining trees. They are also concerned about increased ero- sion, loss of habitat for eagles and other birds, and changes in WKHLU SURSHUW\ YDOXHV ³:H IHHO SUHWW\VWURQJO\WKH\ZHUHXQLQ- formed,” Carolanne Watness said. “We’ve yet to see the evi- dence that they have good infor- mation about the trees.” “I think they should have KLUHG DQ DUERULVW SLFNHG RXW which trees they were gonna remove and let us know. Then there could have been a com- PHQWSHULRG7KRVHVWHSVZRXOG have made a huge difference,” Eric Watness said. Another resident, Stan Hard- LQJVDLGFRXQW\RI¿FLDOVPLJKW have avoided another tree con- ÀLFW³,IWKH\KDGSXWPRUHFRP- munication and investigation into it.” ³<HS ,QYHVWLJDWLRQ DQG communication,” Bay Center Association President Ed Whit- ford agreed. BAY CENTER, Wash. — It’s been about a month since WKH3DFL¿F&RXQW\'HSDUWPHQW of Public Works cut down 19 VSUXFHWUHHVWKDWERXQGHGRQH side of Bush Pioneer County Park, and Bay Center resi- dent Monica Pine says it’s still shocking to see the long row RI IUHVK VWXPSV ,Q IDFW 3LQH ZDVVRXSVHWWKDWVKHUHFHQWO\ SODFHG ZKLWH ZRRGHQ FURVVHV RQ HDFK VWXPS DV D IRUP RI SURWHVW DJDLQVW WKH FRXQW\¶V decision. In a late February com- PLVVLRQHUV¶ PHHWLQJ 'HSDUW- ment of Public Works direc- tor Mike Collins said the trees, which were roughly 80 to 100 years old, had to go because WKH\SRVHGDVDIHW\KD]DUGDQG created liability for the county. But Pine and other frustrated %D\&HQWHUUHVLGHQWVDUHVNHS- WLFDO7KH\VD\FRXQW\RI¿FLDOV should have done a better job of communicating with locals both before and after the work was done. “The county should never have begun their tree-cutting SURMHFW ZLWKRXW FRQVXOWLQJ DQ DUERULVW ¿UVW DQG %D\ &HQ- WHU QH[W :KHUH GLG WKH ¿QDO decision to remove 19 trees this year alone come from? $UH \RX UHO\LQJ RQ QRQSUR- fessional county staff to deter- mine the need for cutting healthy trees?” Bay Center res- ident Caroline Harding wrote in a February email to County Commissioner Steve Rogers. Bay Center, which is just DFURVV :LOODSD %D\ IURP Leadbetter State Park, is in Rogers’ commission district. 7KHFRXQW\SDUNLVDNH\UHF- reational facility for the small Restoring ‘woefully community, in addition to neglected’ parks hosting tourists, visitors from ,Q D 0RQGD\ SKRQH LQWHU- nearby South Bend and Chi- view, Rogers said the tree har- nook Indian Nation events. YHVW ZDV SDUW RI D QHZ HIIRUW Bay Center resident Monica Pine made these crosses to show her dissatisfaction with the county’s decision to cut down 19 trees in Bush Pioneer County park. Photos by Natalie St. John/EO Media Group Bay Center residents Carolanne Watness (left), Eric Wat- ness, Ed Whitford, Stan Harding and Monica Pine dis- cussed the need for better communication with county of- ficials during a gathering at the Watness home on Monday. County officials say these recently-harvested spruce trees were “punky” inside — Bay Center residents think they were healthy. They wish the county had consulted with an arborist before cutting them down in February. There is no doubt that some of the spruce trees in Bush Pioneer County Park needed to be cut down for safety reasons. This rotting spruce tree destroyed a picnic table when it fell during a windstorm in early March. WR UHVWRUH WKH FRXQW\¶V SDUNV which have been “woefully neglected” in recent years due to EXGJHWSUREOHPV&RXQW\ZRUN- ers have already installed a new SOD\VWUXFWXUHDW%XVK3DUNDQG SODQ WR FOHDU RYHUJURZQ FDPS- sites and trails, remove more WUHHV UHSDLU D FORJJHG GUDLQ- age ditch and install a chain-link IHQFHDURXQGWKHSDUN “They’re hurt and I under- VWDQG DQG , UHVSHFW WKDW $V D commissioner, I think I could have done a better job commu- QLFDWLQJ DQG , KDYH QR SURE- lem saying that,” Rogers said. “But the bottom line is, the trees would have come down.” According to Rogers, Col- lins evaluated the trees and determined that their cores were ³SXQN\´ RU VRIW DQG URWWHQ ² DFRPPRQSUREOHPWKDWPDNHV DJLQJ VSUXFHV PRUH OLNHO\ WR come down in storms. Addition- DOO\ WKHLU VSUHDGLQJ URRWV ZHUH FDXVLQJ VWDELOLW\ SUREOHPV DQG FRPSOLFDWLQJQHHGHGUHSDLUVWRD GUDLQDJHGLWFKWKDWUXQVSDUDOOHO VWRSSHGE\WKHORFDOFDIpDGD\ or so before the harvest and WROGSDWURQVWKHFRXQW\SODQQHG to cut down “a few leaners.” Whitford said he assumed the 'HSDUWPHQW RI 3XEOLF :RUNV RQO\SODQQHGWRFXWGRZQGDP- aged trees, and agreed that the work was a good idea. So he ZDV VXUSULVHG ZKHQ WKH\ FXW down the tall trees on the edge RI WKH SDUN UDWKHU WKDQ WKH more obviously diseased and LY\FRYHUHG VSHFLPHQV LQVLGH WKHSDUN Some Bay Center resi- dents have wondered why they didn’t get a letter announc- LQJWKHFRXQW\¶VSODQVOLNHWKH Ocean Park residents. In the SKRQH LQWHUYLHZ 5RJHUV ZDV adamant that the lack of a letter ZDV³DEVROXWHO\QRW´DSOR\WR get the work done without any resistance. “We just didn’t do enough. We just said we were gonna cut VRPHWUHHV:HSUREDEO\VKRXOG have thrown a ribbon around WKHPDQGZHSUREDEO\VKRXOG to the trees, Rogers said. “We have a history of trees over the years in our county SDUNV IDOOLQJ DQG GRLQJ GDP- age,” Rogers said, adding that several years ago, an aging tree crashed down on the roof of the SDUN PDQDJHU¶V OLYLQJ TXDUWHUV DW %UXFHSRUW &RXQW\ 3DUN7KH UHSDLUZRUNZLOOPDNHDQXQGHU used community asset safer and PRUHDSSHDOLQJWRFLWL]HQV5RJ- ers said. Trees should be cut. But which ones? At the Monday meeting, the residents made it clear that WKH\KDYHQRSUREOHPZLWKFXW- ting down damaged trees in the SDUN7KH\DJUHHGWKDWVRPHRI WKHP GH¿QLWHO\ QHHGHG WR JR ²RQDZDONWKURXJKWKHSDUN after the meeting, Watness and Whitford discovered that a rot- WHQ VSUXFH KDG IDOOHQ GXULQJ WKH SUHYLRXV ZHHN VPDVK- LQJDZRRGHQSLFQLFWDEOHLQWR VSOLQWHUV Whitford said Rogers have had a community discus- sion. That would have been the right thing to do,” Rogers said. ³,¶P QRW KDSS\ DERXW SHRSOH EHLQJXQKDSS\´+HVDLGKHGLG not know why Collins hadn’t KLUHG DQ DUERULVW EXW SODQQHG to ask him. Collins could not be reached for comment in time IRUSXEOLFDWLRQ Preventing controversy It’s too late to save the trees, but residents say the LQFLGHQWKDVPDGHWKHPUHDOL]H WKDW ERWK FLWL]HQV DQG FRXQW\ RI¿FLDOVQHHGWRGRDEHWWHUMRE of communicating. They are working with Rogers to sched- ule a community meeting in WKH QHDU IXWXUH DQG KRSH WR weigh in on the county’s future SODQVIRUWKHSDUN ³7KHTXHVWLRQQRZLVZKDW does the community want it to look like?” Caroline Harding said during the meeting. “... We need to do a good job of letting the county know what we’d like to see.” Trial set for man accused in wild police chase By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian A trial date is set for the Seaside man accused RI OHDGLQJ SROLFH RQ D ZLOG chase last fall through a Cul- laby Lake neighborhood. 'RQDOG $OOHQ 6DQGHUV 35, is scheduled for trial EHJLQQLQJ-XQHLQ&ODWVRS County Circuit Court. The WULDO LV H[SHFWHG WR ODVW WZR to three days. He is accused of eluding SROLFHFUDVKLQJLQWRD\DUG EUHDNLQJLQWRDGHSXW\VKHU- iff’s home and assaulting the GHSXW\¶V ZLIH EHIRUH EHLQJ arrested. +H SOHDGHG QRW JXLOW\ to 15 counts. The charges include first-degree bur- glary, first and second-de- gree assault, fourth-degree IHORQ\ DVVDXOW DWWHPSW WR HOXGH DWWHPSWHG XQDXWKR- ers have aggravating fac- WRUV VLQFH WKH GHSXW\¶V ZLIH ZDVQRWSURYRNLQJKLPDQG he allegedly committed the assault in front of the wom- an’s child. Sanders’ defense lawyer 6TXLUH 0 %R]RUWK VDLG KH KRSHV WR QHJRWLDWH D UHVROX- tion to the case before trial, DVVDXOWHG WKH GHSXW\¶V ZLIH EXWKDVQRWUHFHLYHGDQ\SOHD by slamming her into the RIIHUIURPWKHSURVHFXWLRQ corner of a wall, the indict- After setting the trial date ment states. :HGQHVGD\ &ODWVRS &RXQW\ 7KH GHSXW\ VKHULII Circuit Court Judge Cindee grabbed Sanders and War- Matyas said both sides can renton Police Chief Mathew continue negotiating until Workman arrested him. June. Charges against Sand- “Just because we are set- ‘Just because we are setting a trial date does not mean that we cannot continue resolution discussions up until trial’ Cindee Matyas Clatsop County Circuit Court judge UL]HGXVHRIDYHKLFOHUHFN- less driving, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, reck- lessly endangering another SHUVRQILUVWGHJUHHFULPLQDO mischief and driving under the influence of intoxicants. The October incident started when law enforce- ment witnessed Sanders VSHHGLQJLQ6HDVLGHKHDGLQJ northbound on U.S. High- way 101. Sanders continued on to the Cullaby Lake neighbor- hood. He drove through bar- ricades and went over lawns DQGGRZQZDONLQJSDWKV+H caused more than $1,000 in damage, according to the indictment. +H WKHQ VWRSSHG DQG allegedly tried to steal D &ODWVRS &RXQW\ 3DUNV 'HSDUWPHQW SLFNXS WUXFN but the keys were not inside the vehicle so he returned to his 1995 Nissan Maxima. Sanders lost control of KLVFDUFUDVKHGQHDUWKHGHS- uty sheriff’s house and ran on foot. He broke into the house on the 33000 block of Cullaby Lake Lane and ting a trial date does not mean that we cannot con- tinue resolution discussions XSXQWLOWULDO´0DW\DVVDLG Sanders remains in cus- tody on $200,000 bail. Scalloped H am & Potatoes D inner Fri. 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