144TH YEAR, NO. 13
ONE DOLLAR
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2016
Elk wade in the estuary in Gearhart.
John Dudley/For The Daily Astorian
‘Animal versus animal’ as elk, dogs clash
Elk will charge to defend calves
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
G
EARHART — A pet whippet was tram-
pled and killed by a herd of deer at
the Reserve at Gearhart this month. In
another incident reported to Gearhart Police,
an elk kicked a dog and broke the dog’s
legs. A Little Beach resident said he saw a
herd menace kayakers this month when they
approached too close to the shore.
“They will sometimes get aggressive,”
Wildlife
Communications
Coordinator
Michelle Dennehy of the Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife said. “It can happen any-
time. The advice for pets and people is to try
to keep away.”
Oregon has two types of elk, Dennehy said,
Roosevelt elk on the coast and Rocky Moun-
tain elk in the Cascades. Roosevelt elk bulls
typically weigh 900 pounds, and cows clear
600 pounds. Roosevelt elk in western Oregon
have the larger body size, but typically Rocky
Mountain elk — prevalent in Eastern Ore-
gon — have larger antlers. “This makes sense
when you think about how Roosevelt elk need
to get through very thick brush,” she said.
With calving season, people and their pets
are well-advised to steer clear of the herd, she
said, which can reach 60 or more.
Dogs no match
A sign posted by the dunes in Gearhart
warns: “Keep clear of the elk. Elk will charge
to defend calves.”
Gearhart Police Chief Jeff Bowman said
the risk increases at a time when elk cows
are protective of newborn calves. “It all boils
down to an animal versus animal, and the elk
aren’t going to back down from a dog com-
ing at them. They’ve got babies. If people are
walking and not having their dogs on a leash,
they’d better be looking for the elk.”
R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian
See ELK, Page 10A
Mayor LaMear calls for action on guns
Astoria mayor
will send letter
to governor,
congressional
delegation
By DERRICK DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
Astoria Mayor Arline
LaMear, struggling with emo-
tion, said she would send a let-
ter to Gov. Kate Brown and
Oregon’s congressional dele-
gation calling for gun control.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re
for gun rights or for stricter
gun controls,” LaMear said
at Monday’s night’s City
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Mayor Arline LaMear, shown here at the reopening of the
Astoria Senior Center earlier this year, wants action to ad-
dress gun violence.
Council meeting. “As human
beings, we share these feelings
of horror, sadness, fear and
helplessness.
“Would a gun resolution
make any difference? Do let-
ters to the editor and posts on
social media help address the
problem? I don’t know. But I
do know that I must do some-
thing,” she said, her voice
breaking. “We must do some-
thing to put a stop to this
madness.”
The mayor, who rarely uses
her role as presiding offi cer of
the City Council to speak to
state or national policy issues,
made the statement after hor-
rifi c violence across the nation.
Police shootings near St.
Paul, Minnesota, and Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, revived
national demonstrations against
racism and police brutality.
Racially motivated attacks on
law enforcement offi cers in
Dallas and Baton Rouge have
police on high alert.
See LAMEAR, Page 3A
A warning sign in Gearhart.
Council still cautious
on affordable housing
City staff will
move ahead on
‘granny fl ats’
By DERRICK
DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
Unsure about what direc-
tion to take on affordable hous-
ing, the Astoria City Coun-
cil signaled Monday night
that the city might lift restric-
tions on accessory dwelling
units but should wait on more
aggressive policy changes.
The City Council made
affordable housing a goal after
hearing from residents and
business leaders that the lack
of housing is a barrier to liv-
ability and economic growth.
But the council is not prepared
to move on a defi nitive strat-
egy without greater public par-
ticipation, since new housing
projects have been met with
neighborhood opposition.
Several potential develop-
ment code amendments were
scheduled to go before the
Planning Commission earlier
this year but were pulled by
City Manager Brett Estes after
councilors and residents raised
doubts.
See HOUSING, Page 3A
Tenacity required to tackle code violators
Long Beach, Wash.,
approach based on
safety, livability
By DAVID PLECHL
EO Media Group
LONG BEACH, Wash. — Code
enforcement may bring to mind over-
zealous enforcement offi cers sprawled
on hand-and-knee, measuring blades
of grass to issue tall fi nes for inciden-
tal infractions.
But Long Beach M ayor Jerry Phil-
lips says nitpicking property owners is
not the name of the game.
“Let’s make it a safe environment,”
said Phillips, “and a community people
want to live in, move to, and enjoy.”
The mayor says the city prioritizes
resolution without resorting
enforcement issues based
to legal pressures.
on level of threat to pub-
Simply writing citations,
lic safety, and secondarily,
he admits, has been largely
livability.
ineffective.
The properties in the
“Sometimes by just giv-
mayor’s short stack have col-
ing a warning, you can get
lapsed roofs, mounting fi re
more done than by issuing a
hazards, rot, mold, infesta-
ticket,” said Phillips.
tions, and quite often home-
But when the written
less tenants who lodge ille-
requests, warnings and tick-
gally; sometimes using the
Jerry
ets don’t work, the city must
decrepit properties as a bath-
Phillips
take legal steps to correct the
room or a convenient cover
problems, he adds.
for illegal drug use and other crimes.
Legal steps, however, aren’t cheap,
Recalcitrant owners
and suing owners and putting liens on
After the worst offenders are prior- properties is looked at as a last resort.
itized to the top of the list, the mayor
“That’s money I could be using to
says owners are then contacted through do something else in my community,”
“considerate letters.”
Phillips said.
The goal, Phillips says, is to build a
See CODE VIOLATORS, Page 10A
relationship with the owner and fi nd a
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David Plechl/EO Media Group
An semi-abandoned A-frame on
Pacific Avenue is at the top of the
mayor’s list of properties to clean
up. “We’ve got homeless sleep-
ing there. We’ve got drug users in
there,” said Phillips. The owner has
been uncooperative.
2016 Clatsop
County Fair
August 2-6
For more information go to
www.clatsopfairgrounds.com