DailyAstorian.com // MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2016
143RD YEAR, NO. 238
ONE DOLLAR
Barn
door
stays
closed
2016 CLASS 2A/1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Court extends
injunction at
Neacoxie barn
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Knappa’s Reuben Cruz reacts after hitting into an out in the top of the seventh inning while Ryker Coffey, top, comforts him as the Knap-
pa Loggers faced off against the Burns Hilanders in the 2A/1A state championship game Friday at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer. Burns
defeated Knappa 4-3. More photos online at DailyAstorian.com
‘They’re going to be back’
Knappa falls short
against Burns, 4-3
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
K
EIZER — The Knappa Loggers have
played in three state championship games
over the last seven years, and they’ve
scored three runs in each and every contest.
Knappa won the irst two, but fate inally
caught up with the Loggers Friday, when
another team scored that magical fourth run.
Talon Case of Burns sprinted home on a
softly hit ground ball by Bryce Goss in the bot-
tom of the fourth inning. That turned out be the
game-winning run for the Hilanders, who held
off a Logger rally to win the 2016 Class 2A/1A
state championship game, 4-3, at Volcanoes
Stadium in Keizer.
After coming from behind to win each of
their three previous playoff games,
the Knappa’s Comeback Kids
indeed tried their best to chase
down one last rally … but this
one just wasn’t meant to be.
The Knappa players — who
had experienced just one loss
over the last two years — were
naturally heartbroken, but a posi-
tive message came their way, moments after the
inal out.
“They’re a great team, they have a lot of
youth, and they’re going to be back here next
year,” said Burns coach Kevin Feist, who was
coaching his inal game for the Hilanders.
“They’re solid. Jeff (Miller) does a great job
with their program, Dale (Takalo) pitched a
heck of a game, and their defense is solid.”
GEARHART — The Neacoxie
Creek Barn will be shuttered for
the tourist season after an injunc-
tion from Clatsop County Circuit
Court was extended.
Judge Philip Nelson extended
an order keeping the former liv-
ery stable off-limits for par-
ties and special events at least
until next fall. At that time, barn
owner Shannon Smith will have
the option to ight the order at
trial, according to Gearhart City
Administrator Chad Sweet.
“She is not able to operate
inside the barn,” Sweet said. “The
court agreed initially with the
city of Gearhart so that injunc-
tion stands until October or
November.”
He added: “In my opinion, no,
she cannot have parties outside
either.”
Smith said in an email she
plans to bring the building up to
code.
“I’m investing my time and
money in improving this one-of-
a-kind historic livery stable to
continue to be of enduring bene-
it to Gearhart, and I chose not to
oppose the city’s request to con-
tinue the injunction against using
the barn through the summer
months,” she said.
See BARN, Page 7A
Smithart
agrees to
pay his
city debt
ABOVE: Knappa’s Jason Miller dives back to
first on a pick-off attempt. RIGHT: Knappa’s
Mason Hoover beats out a throw at first as
Burns’ Zach McDonald fields the throw.
Former hotelier
to pay back taxes
on Riverwalk Inn
two innings in Friday’s 90-degree heat at Vol-
canoes Stadium.
Burns — this year’s No. 1 seed — tacked on
one more run in the fourth to make it 4-0.
“We talked the other day, that we couldn’t
fall behind 3-0 this time,” Miller said. “And we
joked in the second inning, saying ‘what took
them so long to get their lead?’ The kids battled
again and came up short.”
A big reason why the Loggers inished with
just three runs (two unearned) was Burns’ starter
Ty Hueckman.
By DERRICK DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
s a young boy, Chris Patenaude said, he
dreamed of working for NASA. By the
time he was 20 years old, though, his thoughts
had turned mostly to alcohol, drugs and
partying.
Through a chance job as a treatment techni-
cian at rehab center Asto-
ria Pointe, Patenaude came
to grips with his substance
abuse. Now 30, he’s closer
to his boyhood dreams
than he ever imagined.
Last spring, the second-year Clatsop
Community College student was one of 40
students nationwide invited by NASA to
compete in a weeklong robotics competi-
tion at the Armstrong Flight Research Center
in California. On Sunday, Patenaude left to
spend 10 weeks as an intern at the University
Submitted Photo
Brad Smithart has agreed to
a payment plan on the nearly
$120,000 he owes the city in back
hotel-room taxes from the Astoria
Riverwalk Inn.
The former hotelier will pay $150
a week from June through Septem-
ber and $100 from October through
May until the debt is satisied.
“I’m really happy to be making
payments,” Smithart said. “And I
look forward to being successful in
town to be able to make more pay-
ments and get it paid off quicker.”
The Astoria City Council autho-
rized City Attorney Blair Hen-
ningsgaard in April to ile a lawsuit
against Smithart and his com-
pany, Hospitality Masters, over a
$119,918 debt that extends back to
July 2014.
Henningsgaard said the signed
agreement, known as a confession
of judgment, is a device often used
by bill collectors to avoid the cost
of litigation but allow debtors the
chance to pay.
“If he defaults the city is enti-
tled to ile the document and obtain
a judgment without having to go
to trial,” Henningsgaard said in an
email. “If the payments are made
the matter is resolved.”
See PATENAUDE, Page 7A
Chris Patenaude, center, was the MVP of his robotics team, which
created a mock Mars rover at the Armstrong Flight Research Center.
See SMITHART, Page 5A
Rough start
The defending state champion Loggers fell
behind by their standard 3-0 deicit after just
See LOGGERS, Page 10A
Boyhood dreams get new life after struggle
A