10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
Gearhart: If city’s
rules are adopted,
they go into effect
in early October
Continued from Page 1A
A higher cap
Another difference from
the city’s proposed ordinance
is a short-term rental cap of 9
percent of homes licensed for
vacation rental use.
Right now there are about
82 rentals out of 1,500 homes
in Gearhart, Townsend said.
An increase to 9 percent
would equate to about 135
short-term rental proper-
ties, a “pretty low number,”
according to Townsend.
The rental homeown-
ers’ initiative eliminates a
60-day limit on offering
permits, which would limit
future permit opportunities.
Under terms of the initiative,
as long as there is available
stock, homeowners could
convert their homes to short-
term rental.
The initiative seeks to
enable transfer of permits
regardless of home owner-
ship — restricted under the
city ordinance to inheritance
only. “If my daughters decide
to sell the property some-
day, I don’t want to foreclose
their ability if they decide
for whatever reason sell it to
someone who may want to
rent it out,” Townsend said.
Proposed parking rules
are unnecessary, he said,
especially as the ordinance
limits the number of renters.
“Why, if you have a nonva-
cation rental, can everybody
can park on the street, but
by the mere fact that you’re
renting it out you can’t park
on the street?”
The city’s rules restrict
occupancy to two people
over age 2 per bedroom.
The initiative doesn’t
count kids under 18 toward
that occupancy.
At its August meeting, the
Gearhart City Council unan-
imously approved the irst
reading of two ordinances
that would regulate proper-
ties occupied for less than a
30-day period.
If adopted, the regulations
will go into effect in early
October.
Property owner Jim Whit-
temore said he and others
are “more than willing to sit
down with city leaders and
work out a compromise” with
oficials. Seventy-two of res-
idents polled say the voters
should decide the issue, not
City Council, he said.
“With this information
and poll data in the pub-
lic domain, I am absolutely
lummoxed as to why the
City Council may choose to
ignore it and proceed full-
speed ahead with the passage
of an ordinance on Wednes-
day, which in all likelihood
will be replaced with a more
conciliatory initiative we
have proposed,” Whittemore
said. “Why not avoid that? I
hope they do.”
The council meets tonight
at 7 at Gearhart City Hall,
698 Paciic Way.
Parking: New oficer
will also provide tourist
assistance, information
Continued from Page 1A
Along with issuing park-
ing citations, the commu-
nity outreach oficer will also
provide tourist assistance and
information. The downtown
association, which will hire
the oficer, will be expected
to compile annual reports
documenting the results.
Other cities have privat-
ized parking enforcement.
Johnston explained that
Astoria Police have had dif-
iculty attracting enforce-
ment oficers because of
the low pay and the back-
ground checks necessary for
unrestricted access to police
headquarters.
Parking enforcement ofi-
cers are often subjected to
backlash from angry driv-
ers, an unfortunate real-
ity for police, and a poten-
tial headache for downtown
merchants.
“If we have civilians issu-
ing parking citations, we
have to let the public know
that they are authorized to do
that,” City Councilor Drew
Herzig said.
Park: ‘We are looking at moving
them from students to stewards’
Continued from Page 1A
desk, we’ve been able to reach
more than 1,000 fourth-grad-
ers and their families through
this program. We’re excited to
continue.”
Next generation
Every Kid in a Park
launched last year as part of the
National Park Service centen-
nial. The program is considered
a critical component to the park
service’s goal of inspiring the
next generation of park-goers.
Marcus Koenen, interim
superintendant at Lewis and
Clark National Historical Park,
said the National Park Service
was so pleased with the success
and popularity of the program
that it was brought back for a
second year and is expected to
be an annual offering.
Fourth grade was targeted
as a time when students begin
to learn about history and
explore the outdoors. For local
students, fourth grade is usu-
ally their irst time learning
about Lewis and Clark.
“Fourth grade is that age
where kids are starting to
look outside and learn more
about external experiences,”
Koenen said. “It’s a good age
to encourage them to come to
national parks.”
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
A fourth-grader writes with a quill pen at Fort Clatsop during an education program.
On average, Lewis and
Clark National Historical Park
hosts more than 2,000 fourth-
grade students annually for
educational programs.
The park leads more than
9,000 students of all grades
through various programs each
year.
‘Students to stewards’
Cathy Peterson, the park’s
education program coordinator,
said Lewis and Clark National
Historical Park has regularly
attracted fourth-graders, even
before Every Kid in a Park.
Fourth-grade classes are
invited on ield trips for educa-
tional programs such as, Class
of Discovery and Life at the
Fort. Children are also invited
to become Junior Rangers or
take the self-guided tour, Dil-
igent Pursuit.
Out of class, fourth-grad-
ers are welcome to paddle the
river or participate in fun runs
such as the upcoming South
Slough Scramble
“We ind fourth-grade stu-
dents, children 9 to 11, are
really interested in looking at
the world around them,” Peter-
Whales: Fishing gear entanglement is a threat
Continued from Page 1A
federal laws, including the
Marine Mammal Protection
Act. Vessels will continue to
have to stay a speciic distance
away from humpback whales
in Hawaii and Alaska waters.
A Hawaii ishermen’s
group that petitioned for delis-
ting three years ago said it was
happy with the decision.
“We just saw a lot of whales.
So we thought this is a success
in ocean management and we
wanted to point that out to the
world — that things are good
with whales in Hawaii,” said
Phil Fernandez, president of the
Hawaii Fishermen’s Alliance
for Conservation and Tradition.
An estimated 11,000 hump-
back whales breed in Hawaii
waters each winter and migrate
to Alaska to feed during the
summer, the isheries service
said.
But an environmental-
ist group said the protections
should stay in place.
“These whales face sev-
eral signiicant and growing
threats, including entangle-
ment in ishing gear, so end-
ing protections now is a step in
the wrong direction,” Kristen
Monsell, an attorney with the
Center for Biological Diver-
sity, said in a statement.
Humpbacks that breed in
Central America in the winter
and feed off California and the
Paciic Northwest in the sum-
mer are among those that will
remain on the endangered list.
Marta Nammack, the ish-
eries service’s Endangered
Species Act listing coordinator,
said that’s because the popula-
tion is estimated at only about
400 whales. These whales also
face threats from vessel colli-
sions and getting entangled in
ishing gear, she said.
Whales that breed off Mex-
ico and feed off California, the
Paciic Northwest and Alaska
will be listed as threatened.
There are about 3,200 of the
whales in this group, which is
only about half of what scien-
tists previously thought, Nam-
mack said. The whales also
face ishing gear entanglement
threats.
The different classiications
mean that Alaska’s whales will
be a mix.
In addition to whales that
breed in Hawaii and Mex-
ico, Alaska also gets whales
that spend the winter in waters
around Okinawa and the Phil-
ippines. These whales, called
the Western North Paciic pop-
ulation, are endangered. They
number only about 1,000 and
faces threats from energy
exploration and development,
whaling and ishing gear entan-
glements, Nammack said.
Humpback whales are also
found along eastern coasts of
the U.S. and Canada. These
whales, which winter in the
West Indies, are not being
listed as endangered. They
number about 10,000, the ish-
eries service said.
clatsop community college presents its 3 rd annual
Conference on
extraordinary living
for people 50+
COMING September
th
INTER
W
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L
F AL
son said. “They are ready to go
out and see the world.”
Each fourth-grader, including
home-schooled students, that vis-
ited the park last year was offered
a free Every Kid in a Park pass,
resulting in rangers giving out
more than 1,000 free passes.
As the program continues
each year, eventually after 12
years, every school-aged child
in the United States will have
had the chance to visit their
public lands for free.
“We are looking at moving
them from students to stew-
ards,” Peterson said.
16 !
Lunch provided
$10 suggested donation
Live Life to the Fullest
Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016e, 8:30am-4pm
Clatsop Community College, Columbia Hall
Keynote address from Jill Harding from Lewis & Clark NHP
“Hey Doc - What’s Up?” Q&A with health providers and experts on aging
18 Informative Breakout Sessions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Advocating for Your Own Health
Mindfulness & Life Coaching Tips
Estate Planning
Educational & Volunteer
Opportunities
Frauds & Scams
Disaster Prep/Stormy Weather
AARP: Disrupt Aging Discussion
Nutrition for the Sunrise Years
Seniors on the Move with Travel
Transitioning into Retirement
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County Events Extraordinaire
Genealogy at your Fingertips
Hiking on the North Coast
Posture Analysis/Yoga
Personal Technology
A Matter of Balance: Managing
Concerns about Falls
Veteran’s Beneits/Social Security/
Medicare/Medicaid
Intro to Acupuncture & Alternative
Medicine
Free lu shots while supplies last, sponsored by Family Care Health
Register by Sept. 1 Contact Evy at 503-338-2566 or eberger@clatsopcc.edu
To advertise contact:
LISA CADONAU at 503-325-3211 or lcadonau@dailyastorian.com
BRANDY STEWART at 503-738-7561 or bstewart@dailyastorian.com
Publishes: Sept. 16, 2016
Publication is online at all
of our websites via e-edition
Inserted in: The Daily Astorian
and Chinook Observer
Clatsop Community College is an airmative action, equal opportunity institution. ADA Accessible.