DailyAstorian.com // MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016
144TH YEAR, NO. 32
ONE DOLLAR
BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNEY DRAWS THOUSANDS TO SEASIDE SPORTS • 7A
Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Lawyers for accused murderer Jessica
Smith will meet with prosecutors for
a settlement conference Tuesday and
Wednesday.
Settlement
talks set in
Smith case
Suspected murderer
facing death penalty
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
The Grand Land Parade marches down Exchange Street during the Astoria Regatta Saturday.
ON LAND AND SEA
At Regatta, it’s all
about loats and boats
By ELI STILLMAN
The Daily Astorian
T
housands of people packed downtown Saturday
for the Astoria Regatta, a celebration of the North
Coast’s maritime tradition with parades on land and
the Columbia River.
The 122nd annual festival was special because it coin-
cided with the 50th anniversary of the Astoria Bridge.
The theme was “Bridge to
Everywhere.”
MORE
Clear skies and warm weather
brought a large turnout for the
INSIDE
Grand Land Parade through the
Astoria Regatta
city at noon.
festivities made
The parade featured loats
their way to War-
from a range of civic organiza-
renton for the first
tions and local politicians, as
time. Read more
well as two separate groups of
on Page 10A.
clowns throwing candy to the
crowd.
One group that was impossible to miss was the pur-
ple clad marching band, “The Beat Goes On.” The
Portland based group brought 75 members to the
parade, including percussionists and baton twirlers.
Rick Monger, an alto saxophone player in the band,
said the group has played in Shanghai, China, and
See SMITH, Page 10A
Boats travel under the Astoria Bridge during the Astoria Regatta Saturday.
Landmark turns 50
Ceremony marks Astoria
Bridge’s golden anniversary
By ELI STILLMAN
The Daily Astorian
See REGATTA, Page 10A
W
Kids leap for candy during the Grand Land Parade
downtown.
The defense lawyers for accused mur-
derer Jessica Smith and the prosecution are
attempting to reach a settlement.
A two-day settlement conference is
scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday in Cir-
cuit Court.
Momentum to resolve the case increased
Friday, when Circuit Court Judge Cindee
Matyas ruled against the defense lawyers for
Smith, the 42-year-old mother who allegedly
murdered her infant and slashed her teenager
in a Cannon Beach resort in July 2014.
During a court hearing last month, Wil-
liam Falls and Lynne Morgan argued that
responding oficers violated the privacy
of the surviving teenager, Alana Smith, by
entering the hotel room without a warrant.
The defense lawyers claimed all evidence
collected after entering the room is tainted
and cannot be used at trial next year.
John Anderson, a crane operator
during the construction of the
Astoria Bridge, holds his original
construction hat from the project
during a rededication ceremony
celebrating the bridge’s 50th an-
niversary. More photos online at
DailyAstorian.com
hen John Anderson rum-
maged through his son’s
old Tonka toy set earlier
this year, he came across something he
had not seen in 30 years: the construc-
tion hard hat he wore when he was a
crane operator working on the Astoria
Bridge.
At a rededication ceremony Satur-
day morning marking the span’s 50th
anniversary, Anderson, with his old
hard hat in hand, was among a dozen
other workers present who had helped
erect the bridge.
Fort George
embraces
pedal power
Bike-to-work program
promotes health,
reduced congestion
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
Victoria Sheehan rode her new black
Kona Rove bike out of the Lovell Building,
ready to hit the road on a sunny Friday.
Along with 35 others at Fort George
Brewery, Sheehan has agreed to commute
to work at least 40 days a year on a new
bike purchased by the brewery to support
employee health and reduce congestion.
Fort George co-owner Chris Nemlowill
said he had seen a couple of other brewer-
ies increase bike commuting and thought it
would be a good idea in Astoria, where he
rides from his hillside home to the down-
town brewery.
“I deinitely feel like it will clear up a
few parking spots downtown around Fort
George,” Nemlowill said.
See BRIDGE, Page 10A
See FORT GEORGE, Page 10A
Latino heritage intern continues park outreach
For Vergara,
the work is
a ‘personal
mission’
fter camping for the irst
time as a teenager in Yosem-
ite National Park, Melissa Ver-
gara knew she wanted to some-
day work in the National Park
Service.
Vergara, 24, is inishing
a Latino Heritage Internship
Program at Lewis and Clark
National Historical Park before
she returns to California this
fall to study plant sciences at
University of California, Santa
Cruz.
A
For the second summer,
Lewis and Clark National His-
torical Park hired a Latino her-
itage intern to continue outreach
projects including summer
camps for children of migrant
workers and bilingual kayak
tours and hikes.
“It’s a very personal mis-
sion to me,” said Vergara, who
is bilingual. “I was inspired and
then I saw a lot of possibility
after I was introduced to these
public spaces.”
Out of more than 50 students
in the park’s summer camps,
Vergara estimates about one-
third were from the Northwest
Regional Migrant Education
program.
Vergara bunked with the
Spanish-speaking students and
spent time communicating and
translating with them. She led
them on nature walks and kay-
aking tours.
“Hopefully, those bilingual
students feel a strong connec-
tion with Fort Clatsop and want
to come back to summer camp
to have a good experience here,”
Vergara said.
The national park also hosts
a Junior Ranger program. At the
end of the program, the junior
rangers say a pledge to protect
the natural areas. Vergara and a
co-worker decided to have the
young rangers repeat the pledge
in both English and Spanish.
Vergara said the non-Spanish
speaking children were curious
to try the pledge in another lan-
guage. It was an encouraging
experience, she said.
Vergara’s inal project with
the park focuses on her science
background. She is wrapping up
a brochure on the eatable fruits
of Fort Clatsop, which include
huckleberries and blackberries.
After her studies, Vergara
said she would love to come
back to the National Park
Service.
“I’m very lucky to have
found something I’m super pas-
sionate about,” she said.
— Kyle Spurr
Melissa
Vergara