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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2016)
143RD YEAR, NO. 181 DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016 POURING ON THE COAST COAST WEEKEND ONE DOLLAR STORIES ON PAGE 5A Warming center goes on hiatus Volunteer-run shelter reopens in November; weekly showers on tap By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Sea Lions and harbor seals dive off the docks of the East End Mooring Basin after crews from the Port of Astoria inflated air danc- ers in an attempt to scare the pinnipeds this morning. JUST DANC E! I Port employs air dancers to drive away sea lion squatters The Daily Astorian QÀDWDEOHDLUGDQFHUVVWDSOHVRIXVHGFDUORWVDQGPDWWUHVVVWRUHVQDWLRQZLGHZHUHJLYHQQHZDSXUSRVHDORQJWKHGRFNV of the East End Mooring Basin. ¶ The Port of Astoria used a handful of the nylon, tube-shaped dancers to scare sea lions and harbor seals off the dock Thursday morning. ¶$VWKHFRORUIXOFDUWRRQLVKFUHDWXUHV¿OOHGZLWKDLUVHDOLRQVDQGKDU ERUVHDOVLQWKHLPPHGLDWHYLFLQLW\TXLFNO\WRRNWRWKHZDWHUZKLOHRWKHUVHDOLRQVMXVWRQHGRFNRYHUVWD\HGSXW¶ “Our VXVSLFLRQLVWKDWWKLVLVMXVWWHPSRUDU\´VDLG-LP.QLJKWH[HFXWLYHGLUHFWRURIWKH3RUWVWDQGLQJRQWKHHDVWEDVLQFDXVHZD\ RYHUORRNLQJWKHDLUGDQFHUV³%XWRIIWRP\OHIWLV.QDSSD+LJK6FKRROVWXGHQWVLQVWDOOLQJWKH¿UVWVHFWLRQRIUDLOVZKLFKZLOO be the permanent solution.” ¶6WXGHQWZHOGHUVIURP.QDSSDZLOOIDEULFDWHVWHHOUDLOLQJVWROLQHWKH3RUWGRFNVZKLFK.QLJKW said has proven effective in other ports at keeping sea lions off docks. ¶ Video online at www.dailyastorian.com The Astoria Warming Center, which houses the homeless overnight during cold or inclement weather in the First United Meth- odist Church basement, closed for the sea- son Wednesday morning after four months in operation. But they were a busy and eventful four months : From mid-November through Tues- day , the center operated 66 nights, put up 98 people — including 77 men, 21 women and 15 veterans — and averaged 17 per night, and provided a total of 1,098 overnight stays, according to center tallies. Volunteers served more than 2,000 meals — furnished mostly by the North Coast Food Web and Astoria Coffeeh ouse & Bistro — and logged more than 2,000 volunteer hours. “We served at least three times as many of our homeless population this year as we served last year,” City Councilor Drew Herzig, a warming center founder and organizer, said. The center also added a shower, a washer and two dryers in January, acquired a 501(c) QRQSUR¿WVWDWXVLQ)HEUXDU\ DQGVHFXUHG the same space for another four-month period beginning in November. But for now, “they’re going to have to be back out on the street again, and that really breaks my heart,” Herzig said of the homeless. To keep the center open beyond its sched- uled closing date, let alone year-round, would require more volunteers, greater capacity and more community partnerships, he said. See WARMING CENTER, Page 10A Home health care shifts to Seaside Providence takes on CMH’s caseload By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian In a room crowded with busi- ness owners, elected officials and local leaders, the winners of the Clat- sop County Outstanding Businesses awards took the stage to accept their plaques Wednesday. The fourth annual ceremony hon- ored businesses in 10 categories rang- ing from customer service to entrepre- neurship and economic impact. Each winner was nominated by a letter sent to Clatsop Economic Development Resources. Columbia Memorial Hospital is ending h ome h ealth c are services at the end of April after 25 years of operation, citing decreased Medicare reimbursements amid increasing costs. The hospital serves 22 people through the program, but expects the number of affected patients to drop to 17 by the time the program closes. Patients will be noti- ¿HGVWDUWLQJWRGD\ Erik Providence Seaside Hos- Thorsen pital, the only other hospi- tal-based home health pro- vider in Clatsop County, will incorporate those patients in its larger home health program. “CMH has explored all options to keep this program Paul open, however, the necessary Mitchell reduction in costs to keep the SURJUDP ¿QDQFLDOO\ YLDEOH ZRXOG VLJQL¿FDQWO\ MHRSDUGL]H WKH RYHUDOO quality of service,” Erik Thorsen, the hospi- tal’s CEO, said in a statement . Paul Mitchell, a hospital spokesman , said home health patients are people needing post-surgery monitoring, therapy and med- ication management. They include people with chronic health conditions or disabilities who need continued monitoring and have trouble leaving their home, but don’t need to live in a nursing home. See AWARDS, Page 10A See SEASIDE, Page 10A ABOVE: Jose Delgado, with the Port of Astoria, sets up an inflatable air dancer on a dock in the East End Mooring Basin today. LEFT: Sea Lions and harbor seals hang out on the docks of the East End Mooring Basin before crews from the Port of Astoria inflated air dancers in an attempt to scare them away this morning. These people are taking care of business CEDR awards honor Clatsop businesses By CYNTHIA WASHICKO EO Media Group Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Skip Hauke smiles during a speech by state Sen. Betsy John- son at the Clatsop Economic Development Resources Awards banquet at The Loft in Astoria on Wednesday. Hauke was recog- nized for his work for CEDR during this year’s banquet.
