143RD YEAR, NO. 212
WEEKEND EDITION
ONE DOLLAR
FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2016
CAR SHOWS,
PROPERTY LINES
LONG, LONG
GONE
INSIDE
FRIDAY EXTRA • 1C
Sodomy case
dismissed
in Goodding
legal fallout
Fallen offi cer was lead
investigator in crimes
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
A close look at an Eric Wie gardt painting at the Columbia Forum reveals a medley of color and texture.
CREATIVE STRUGGLE
Artists describe tension of art, commerce
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
T
wo roads diverge before
serious artists early in their
careers: What happens
if they decide to become
commercial artists, customizing
their craft to satisfy a specifi c mar-
ket? What happens if they don’t?
“If you do, you’re beholden to
that market, and it can be very dif-
fi cult,” said Eric Wiegardt, a pro-
fessional watercolorist based in
Ocean Park, Washington.
Wiegardt and Darren Orange,
an Astoria-based mixed-media
artist, discussed their entrepre-
neurial paths through the art scene
— their paintings, processes and
practical wisdom — during the
fi nal lecture of the Columbia
Forum’s 26th season Thursday
night in Columbia Memorial Hos-
pital’s Community Center.
The fi rst road, they said, is
replete with compromise. The fi nal
product may never refl ect what art-
ists consider their best work, let
alone fulfi ll their highest vision of
themselves as artists.
On the other hand, the road is
often replete with money — pre-
cious, comforting money that
makes food materialize.
Not taking that road, Wie-
gardt said, may have made his life
tougher than it needed to be.
See FORUM, Page 10A
A Seaside man accused of sodomizing
and sexually abusing a young girl had the
charges dropped Thursday , the latest legal
fallout from the death of Seaside Police Sgt.
Jason Goodding.
The entire case against Ronald F. Flores
had to be re-evaluated because Goodding,
who was shot and
killed in the line of
duty in February, was
the lead investigator .
Chief Deputy Dis-
trict Attorney Ron
Brown said any time
someone is unavail-
able to appear in court
— whether it is a wit-
ness skipping town or
a murdered police offi -
Ronald F.
cer — their testimony
Flores
and reports become
hearsay, which is inadmissible as evidence.
“It’s a tragic result because of a tragedy
that happened,” Brown said.
The District Attorney’s Offi ce has been
doing damage control over the past few
months , Brown said, trying to prosecute
cases where Goodding was the lead or only
offi cer. Felony cases down to drunken-driv-
ing arrests have been infl uenced .
In the case against Flores, the prosecu-
tion was able to get a harassment conviction.
However, two counts of fi rst-degree sodomy
and two counts of fi rst-degree sex abuse
were dismissed.
See FALLOUT, Page 10A
LEFT: Eric Wie gardt speaks about his art during the Columbia Forum dinner on Thurs-
day. Local artists Wie gardt and Darren Orange spoke about their art and the business
of art. RIGHT: Darren Orange answers questions and talks about his process during
the Columbia Forum dinner on Thursday.
Timberlands
up for auction
Land has served as
coastal tree farm
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
Paintings by Eric Wie gardt are seen on display during the Columbia Forum dinner on
Thursday.
Rare white-tailed deer still in peril
Wildlife biologists want
to keep native species on
the endangered list
By NATALIE ST. JOHN
EO Media Group
LONG BEACH, Wash. — State and federal
wildlife managers have been trying to save the
endangered Columbian white-tailed deer since
the late 1960s, with mixed results.
A population in southern Oregon has bounced
back, and has been removed from the federal
Endangered Species List. However, despite
extensive efforts to improve their habitat, control
predators, and even trap and relocate them, their
counterparts on the Lower Columbia River con-
tinue to struggle.
See DEER, Page 9A
EO Media Group/File Photo
Columbian white-tailed deer, the region’s smallest
and rarest native deer species, are protected on the
Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge between
Skamokawa and Cathlamet.
CANNON BEACH — Have an extra $2
million to $4 million lying around?
Realty Marketing/Northwest is auction-
ing two parcels in a coastal tree farm near
Ecola State Park that overlook Cannon
Beach .
The properties are some of the last tim-
berlands owned by Weyerhaeuser in Clat-
sop County.
“It’s what I call a real ‘green gold’ type
of property, because there’s merchantable
timber there now, and there’s timber that
will be merchantable in 10 to 18 years,”
said John Rosenthal, president of Realty
Marketing.
A western parcel of 156 acres adjoin-
ing both Ecola State Park and the Elmer
Feldenheimer Forest Reserve is available
for a minimum reserve of $1.8 million. The
property contains an estimated 1.6 million
board feet of mostly 70-year-old white-
woods, with an additional 1.9 million board
feet of timber projected to be available
within 18 years.
The eastern parcel of more than 184
acres next to U.S. Highway 101 is avail-
able for a minimum reserve of $1.9 million.
The land includes an estimated 2.9 million
board feet of timber, with another 2 million
board feet projected to be available within
18 years.
The properties can be sold separately,
but the sales are pegged on aggregate bids
totaling at least $3.8 million. Weyerhaeuser,
however, will entertain lower bids.
The parcels have been managed as a tree
farm for the past 75 years . The land can be
accessed by Radar Road on U.S. Highway
101.
Rosenthal said the properties include
viewing platforms and signs marking the
age of various timber stands. Sealed bids
are due by May 26.