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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 30, 2016)
MEMORIAL DAY: TODAY IS ABOUT THE COST OF WAR OPINION • 4A DailyAstorian.com // MONDAY, MAY 30, 2016 143RD YEAR, NO. 232 ONE DOLLAR Former clerk ‘vindicated’ in ballot-error lawsuit Election oficial awarded more than $400,000 By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian Former Clatsop County Clerk Maeve Kennedy Grimes said she felt vindicated after a jury awarded her more than $400,000 in damages in a lawsuit against the county over her dismissal. The former clerk was ired after two errors were discovered on the November 2014 general election bal- lot. Former County Manager Scott Somers called her insubordinate for pursuing the Secretary of State’s directive to issue corrected ballots without consulting him. “I was not terminated for the right reasons,” she said during the trial. “I was made out to be a person who I am not. I was made out to look like some- one who didn’t know how to do my job, and that is not true.” A 12-person jury unanimously agreed Friday that Kennedy Grimes was ired because she disclosed infor- mation she reasonably believed was evidence of the county violating the law, mismanagement, wasting funds and abusing authority. The jury also found the county interfered with Ken- nedy Grimes’ disclosure. Kennedy Grimes was awarded $168,136 in economic damages and $271,610 in noneconomic damages, totaling nearly $440,000. Noneco- nomic damages apply to her emo- tional distress and the damage to her professional reputation. The county will also have to cover her attorney’s fees. Ballot errors In October 2014, a citizen alerted Kennedy Grimes to a small typo- graphical error on the ballot. The clerk then discovered a second ballot error shortly after. One ballot mistake left off a zero in the amount of a Clatsop Commu- nity College bond measure as “not exceeding $8,200,00.” The second mistake gave Cannon Beach voters incorrect instructions in an at-large Scott Somers Maeve Kennedy Grimes election for City Council. Kennedy Grimes immediately contacted the Secretary of State’s Ofice, which directed her to proceed with supplemental ballots, costing about $14,000. Somers, however, ordered the clerk to consider other options. Somers and former Clatsop Com- munity College President Lawrence Galizio wanted to possibly send out an explanatory letter to voters — a cheaper option for the county — or take no action since the errors were considered insigniicant. Somers, who testiied at trial via video link from his new job as city manager of College Park, Maryland, said he was concerned when Ken- nedy Grimes did not include him in the decision to send out supplemen- tal ballots. “It was a very big decision. It was a very public error,” Somers said. “The decision on how to rectify the bal- lot error was very important. I think it would have been appropriate for See CLERK, Page 10A A life in free fall Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian A mother and her son tried to navigate limited drug treatment options before his incarceration Capt. William Timmons, right, shakes Capt. Daniel Travers’ hand, left, as Rear Admiral Richard Gromlich, center, congratulates them both during the change-of- command ceremony Friday. Coast Guard changes command By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian I t didn’t take long for Vincent Davidson-Gilbert’s life to fall apart once he starting using drugs again. The former Seaside resident had a house, a good job and an eight-year marriage. Though he went to prison at 18 for stealing cars — crimes commit- ted during his irst streak of drug abuse in Portland — he’d spent eight years living as a productive member of North Coast society. But in September he lost his super- visor job at Home Depot in Warrenton. Then he began to get high, irst with black-market OxyContin, then with heroin and methamphetamines. Every- thing in his world began to crumble. “It happened all so quick,” he said. As his relapse worsened, Vincent asked his mother, Kathleen Gilbert, for help. Together, they explored different treatment options. She’d been through this search before with her older son, Devin. They checked with Astoria Pointe, KLEAN in Long Beach, Washington, and elsewhere for inpatient treatment, and with Clatsop Behavioral Health- care and the Oregon Health Authority for outpatient care. But with no insurance, little money and drugs overriding his judg- ment, Vincent felt powerless. “I know I needed help, but I wasn’t able to do anything; I was really on the drugs,” he said. Meanwhile, his usage intensiied. Drug-induced drama played out as he mixed with dealers and other junkies, made unwise decisions and fright- ened his loved ones. “In six months, (he) completely destroyed his life,” said Kathleen, a sterile supply technician at Prov- idence Seaside Hospital who often Timmons replaces Travers as sector leader By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Stories like Vincent’s are depress- ingly common in Clatsop County and throughout Oregon: A person abuses painkillers before turning to harder drugs, has trouble inding or affording proper treatment, engages in criminal activity as the addiction becomes a lifestyle, and ends up in prison. WARRENTON — Capt. William Timmons, a former executive oficer for the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, is glad to be back. Standing beneath an American lag three stories high in his old unit’s hangar Friday, Timmons took com- mand of the sector from Capt. Daniel Travers, who is retir- ing to Astoria after 26 years of service. The two served together at Air Station Sitka in Alaska. “It is an honor and a priv- ilege to have this incredible opportunity to serve as sector commander,” Timmons said. “And it’s icing on the cake to take the handoff from Capt. Travers.” Sector Columbia River includes 500 active-duty per- sonnel, 440 auxiliarists, 105 reservists and 33 civilians ensuring safe and lawful nav- igation along more than 480 miles of coastline and 535 miles of the Columbia, Wil- lamette and Snake rivers. See LIFE, Page 5A See CHANGE, Page 10A Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Vincent Davidson-Gilbert is escorted by officers into the courtroom Friday for his sentencing at Clatsop County Circuit Court. It didn’t matter that Vincent’s irst felony occurred almost a decade ago. It didn’t matter that he had vol- unteered for a local food bank and helped Providence Seaside Hospi- tal set up for community parades. It didn’t matter that he was a loving son and brother, and a much-loved uncle to his niece and nephews. What mattered is that Vincent was a felon with guns, and, what- ever the bitter backstory behind the burglaries, law enforcement deter- mined he met the legal deinition of a burglar. “It’s horrible,” Kathleen said. “And he did it to himself.” Without means Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Kathleen Gilbert, mother of Vincent Davidson-Gilbert, listens during her son’s sentencing Friday at Clatsop County Circuit Court. sees patients in the throes of drug abuse. Before Vincent could get help, he was arrested Jan. 25 — his 27th birth- day — for burglary and for being a felon in possession of a irearm. After his family posted his bail, Vin- cent committed a second burglary, in which his estranged wife was named among the witnesses. On Friday, Circuit Court Judge Cindee Matyas sentenced David- son-Gilbert to ive-and-a-half years in prison. Environmental advocate steps up at the Rock New volunteer coordinator protects whales C ANNON BEACH —In 2014, Frances Holtman was among crew members detained when four small boats were seized by Danish author- ities for protesting the slaugh- ter of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands. That incident is behind her, but Holtman’s dedication to environmental conservation continues in Cannon Beach as the Haystack Rock Awareness Program’s new volunteer coor- dinator. She began working with the program as a staff interpreter in February. On a bright May morning, Holtman, 25, awaited a group of local elementary school students to arrive for a ield trip. Holtman said ocean ecosys- tems provide air for every sec- ond breath we take. “The oceans are an intricate ecosystem that we rely upon to survive,” she said. “It’s really fulilling to be able to address that.” Holtman noted that the Hay- stack Rock Awareness Pro- gram has an educational pro- gram open to students of all ages Lyra Fontaine/The Daily Astorian Frances Holtman is the new volunteer coordinator for the Haystack Rock Awareness Program. that regularly sees students from across the state. “I think this is an import- ant part of making a positive impact,” she said. “A lot of adults have been telling me that one of the things they remember the most from when they were a kid is coming out on ield trips to Haystack Rock. And I know myself, when I was a kid, going on ield trips really stand out for me.” Holtman emphasized the importance of both year-round and one-time volunteers in protecting Haystack Rock, a national wildlife refuge and marine garden. “I can see the effect that we’re having and that’s what is really important to me, to be able to directly protect these ecosystems,” she said. Holtman has found it use- ful to have an interpreter north of the rock inform people about wildlife in the marine garden — like sea anemones — and let See HOLTMAN, Page 10A