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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2016)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016 Unprecedented number of people register for Oregon primary Voters want say in party choices By KRISTENA HANSEN Associated Press PORTLAND — A whop- ping 111,000 Oregonians gave themselves a voice by chang- ing their voter registrations to Democrat and Republican this year ahead of the state’s presi- dential primary. That igure dwarfs registra- tion change numbers during President Barack Obama’s 2008 primary campaign more than threefold. The bulk of these voters — who previously weren’t reg- istered with either party and wouldn’t have been able to cast a presidential ballot this month — made the switch in the weeks before the April 26 primary deadline, when excitement was building over the state’s potentially key role in deciding the nominees. The data, obtained from the Oregon Secretary of State, suggested the May 17 event could have been a record-breaking voter turn- out — at least it did until this week. Things shifted after Tues- day, when Donald Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee: He won Indi- ana’s Republican primary and his two opponents dropped out of the race. Bernie Sand- ers won the Democratic pri- mary in Indiana, although Hillary Clinton’s lead in del- egates is seen as almost insurmountable. So for most of the dozen remaining primaries through June — especially in small states like Oregon, where 102 delegates are up for grabs — political observers say their impact is now more symbolic than actual. Oregon’s primary, one of four in the next two weeks, could serve as a “petri dish for a national conversation” about the changing dynamics of the two parties heading into the general election, said Jim Moore, professor and director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Paciic University. “Does the Republican party begin to gather around Donald Trump ... or are we going to see an electorate that’s still pretty cranky and fractured over the Trump candidacy?” Moore said. “The Oregon primary on the Democratic side is going to continue to be that conver- sation about where the party needs to go, but not really with the hope that Bernie will be the nominee.” How that’ll dig into the psyche of voters, and possi- bly change the record-break- ing turnout many were antic- ipating in Oregon, is unclear, especially for the GOP. Of the 111,000 voters who joined the two major par- ties this year — more than three-quarters of whom were previously nonafiliated — the biggest chunk, about 84,800, went to Democrats. Moore said they likely lean toward Oregon’s “Bernie-ma- nia” electorate, although it’s less clear who they support on the Republican side. The only GOP poll, released last week, showed Trump with a dou- ble-digit lead in Oregon. Additionally, 100,900 new Oregon voters were added to the rolls this year through April — up 42 percent from the same time in 2008, when primary turnout was the high- est since then 1970s — and nearly half registered with the two major parties, but mostly Democrats. Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins estimates a new “motor voter” law — which automatically signs up drivers to vote when they get a new or renewed license — resulted in half of those new registra- tions. But she doubts the law had an effect on the party afiliation changes, which means this year’s election is drawing attention and interest “like never before,” she said. Even after Tuesday’s damper on Oregon’s primary, Moore said it’s still possible voter turnout could come out strong, at least for Sanders. “The Republicans are another thing because all of a sudden the drama is gone,” he said. “And in fact, if you go in and vote for somebody other than Trump it’s simply a pro- test vote ... so we don’t have a sense as to what that does to Republican turnout.” Campaigning in Oregon is continuing, despite the changes this week. Bill Clinton made his sec- ond Oregon visit on Thurs- day — Hillary Clinton herself has yet to do so. There was no word from Sanders about a fourth visit. Trump is paying his irst visit Friday evening in Eugene. “We’re still not certain who the (Democratic) nom- inee is going to be,” Daniels said. “So as far as strategy moving forward in the gen- eral election, we’re just going to have to see how things unfold while also simultane- ously planning for what we expect to happen.” Faster response needed to minimize salmon die-offs By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho — Northwest isheries managers must respond faster to reduce ish kills of sockeye salmon in the Columbia River Basin if warm-water con- ditions return, a draft report tak- ing a hard look at last summer’s massive die-off says. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion report released late last month describes conditions and assesses actions of isher- ies managers in a year when 90 percent of the 510,000 sockeye salmon that entered the Colum- bia died. Endangered Snake River sockeye perished at an even greater rate, with only about 1 percent of the estimated 4,000 ish returning from the Paciic Ocean surviving the 900-mile journey to central Idaho. “We need to be faster,” NOAA’s Ritchie Graves said. “There was too much talking and not enough action and experimentation.” In 2015 a rare combination of an extended heat wave coin- cided with low lows in rivers to push water temperatures above 70 degrees, conditions that had not occurred in the basin since at least the 1950s and can be lethal for cold-water sockeye. “Should similar events occur frequently, the impact on sock- eye salmon populations in the Pot shops to sell recreational edibles, extracts Associated Press EUGENE — Recreational marijuana users will be able to purchase more than just lowers next month. The Register-Guard reported that starting June 2, medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to sell low-dose edi- bles and extracts to recreational customers. The edible products are already available to medical marijuana cardholders in vary- ing dosages. For recreational users, edibles will have to con- tain no more than 15 milli- grams of THC and extracts can have up to 1,000 milligrams of the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. Dispensary operators say 15 milligrams for a single brownie or cookie is a very low dose. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer Two sockeye salmon swim in the Columbia River with a Chinook salmon, middle, at the Bonneville Dam fish-counting window near North Bonneville, Wash. A draft report released in April taking a hard look at last summer’s massive die-off of sockeye salmon in the Co- lumbia River Basin says Northwest fisheries managers must respond faster to mitigate future fish kills if similar warm-water conditions return. Columbia River basin could be substantial,” the report says. The draft report lists nine actions isheries managers could do to recognize earlier when a massive die-off is looming and some actions to potentially reduce the die-off. Among the recommenda- tions is making changes to get real-time reporting of tempera- tures in ish ladders at dams to provide an early warning. Graves said he’d be surprised if that change isn’t accomplished in the next two years. The report also said drawing cold water from deep in reser- voirs to use in ish ladders could help keep ish moving upstream. That was a problem last year when warm water in some ish ladders caused migrating salmon to stall. The report says that in 2016 a new, permanent intake structure at Lower Granite Dam will draw water from 60 feet deep and give managers a greater ability to keep water cool. Much of the report deals with the Snake River where manag- ers have more ability to control water temperature by releas- ing cold water from Dworshak Dam. “Honestly, there are not a lot of things you can do to man- age temperatures in the lower Columbia River,” Graves said. The report notes that last year faulty temperature read- ings caused managers to reduce cold-water releases from Dwor- shak Dam just when Snake River sockeye needed it most. The mistake went unnoticed for about a week, and by then managers were moving forward with the capture and transport of Snake River sockeye to a ish hatchery. But managers say 90 percent of Snake River sockeye died before even reaching the Snake River. “It deinitely didn’t help, but I don’t think it was a sig- niicant factor in the loss,” said Russ Kiefer of the Idaho Depart- ment of Fish and Game. The report notes that one of the quandaries facing manag- ers is the downstream transport- ing by barge of juvenile Snake River sockeye. In 2015, the report said, transported ish with poorer homing skills spent more time in the river. That proved lethal, and none of the return- ing adults survived the journey upstream to Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River. However, barging juvenile ish downstream is intended to boost the number of return- ing adult Snake River sockeye, an endeavor isheries manag- ers say they are now having to reconsider. The 58-page report is being reviewed by federal and state managers as well as tribes, with comments from those entities being incorporated into a inal report expected early this sum- mer ahead of this year’s sock- eye run. VOLUN T E E R PICK OF THE WEE K Dewey Ideal Fitness Sidekick With Inspiring Energy and Captivating Joie de Vivre (More on http://Petfinder.com/ ) Sponsored by CLATSOP COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER 1315 SE 19th St., Warrenton • 861- PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat BOFEVDBUJPOQSPHSBNCZUIFBM[IFJNFSTBTTPDJBUJPO Happy 90 th Nick ! 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