COAST WEEKEND: NEIL SIMON’S ‘BAREFOOT IN THE PARK’ INSIDE
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016
144TH YEAR, NO. 70
‘ FOCUS
ADVANCE
ASTORIA’
ON ECONOMIC GROWTH
ONE DOLLAR
Christian J.
Wilkins
Adeena M.
Copell
Couple
charged
in death
of man
Newport victim found
off Hwy. 30 near Astoria
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Kevin Leahy, executive director of Clatsop Economic Development Resources, moderates a panel discussion during the “Ad-
vance Astoria” economic development strategy panel on Wednesday at Fort George Brewery’s Lovell Showroom in Astoria.
Business
leaders kick off
development
strategy
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
S
everal years from now,
what will Astoria’s busi-
ness culture look like?
What concerns and prin-
ciples will have shaped the city’s
economic identity?
As the city begins work on
a ive-year economic develop-
ment strategy — “Advance Asto-
ria” — a panel of business own-
ers and community leaders met in
Fort George’s Lovell Showroom
Wednesday to kick off the brain-
storming phase.
Their charge: to think big
about Astoria’s economic future.
Moderated by Kevin Leahy,
executive director of Clatsop Eco-
nomic Development Resources,
the discussion featured Jim
Knight, executive director of the
Port of Astoria; Chris Breitmeyer,
president of Clatsop Community
College; Jeremy Towsey-French,
owner of Reveille Ciderworks;
Adam Zimmerman, president and
CEO of Craft3, a nonproit lend-
ing institution; and Shawn Busse,
CEO of Kinesis, a Portland-based
marketing irm.
See COUPLE, Page 10A
ABOVE: Panelists
were charged to think
big about Astoria’s
economic future
during an economic
development strategy
panel Wednesday.
LEFT: Jeremy Towsey-
French, owner of
Reveille Ciderworks,
speaks on a panel at
the economic de-
velopment strategy
forum at Fort George
Brewery.
By DERRICK DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
WARRENTON — The Ski-
panon Water Control District did
not respond to Warrenton’s demand
that it surrender ownership claims to
the Eighth Street Dam by a Tuesday
deadline.
Tessa Scheller, the chairwoman
of the water district, said she did not
consider the city’s ultimatum worthy
of an emergency meeting of the dis-
trict’s board.
The water district wants to remove
the dam as a hazard and to improve
ish passage on the Skipanon River.
Backer hinted at cargo
service at Tongue Point
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
The standoff is driven by philo-
sophical differences over the value
and control of the dam, yet practical
considerations might inluence how
the dispute is resolved.
Scheller said she is waiting to
hear to what extent the Special Dis-
tricts Association of Oregon, which
represents the water district in legal
matters, will mount a defense against
the city.
Some on the water district’s board
have said in the past that the district
should transfer the dam to the city
for $1 to be free from any liability, a
tempting idea in the face of an expen-
sive legal ight over ownership.
Scheller said she has looked into
See DAM, Page 5A
See TONGUE POINT, Page 5A
Eighth Street Dam deadline passes
Scheller characterized the city’s
actions as an “absurd land grab” and
“bullying.”
The water district’s board will meet
later this month to weigh options.
Akin Blitz, a Portland attorney for
the city, sent a letter to the water dis-
trict last week warning of a potential
lawsuit to settle title or the city’s sei-
zure of the dam.
Blitz argues that the city owns
the dam because the water district
has removed the tide gates, which he
believes invalidates an easement the
water district was granted by the city
in 1962 to operate the structure for
lood control.
Blitz said he would wait until he
can talk again with the City Com-
mission before announcing the city’s
next move.
Another
Port deal
hits a wall
Yet another idea to develop North Tongue
Point appears dead.
The proposal by retired attorney and
entrepreneur Rece Bly to develop a bulk ter-
minal at the Port of Astoria’s leased dock
space has stalled, with the two sides unable
to reach an agreement.
The Port and Bly have been negotiating
for months on a contract that would compen-
sate him for bringing
an unspeciied cargo to
North Tongue Point, a
long-underutilized for-
mer U.S. Navy base
coveted for its access
to both rail and a chan-
nel of the Columbia
River. Much of the dis-
cussion has been out
of the public view. Bly
attended a coniden-
Jim
tial executive session
Knight
Tuesday with the Port
Commission to discuss the proposal but said
the two parties are still far apart.
“I wouldn’t say I’m done dealing with the
Port,” Bly said. “There’s nothing for me to
do at this point. I signed an agreement, gave
it to them. It’s not acceptable.”
Jim Knight, the Port’s executive director,
said his and the Port Commission’s impres-
sion is that discussions are over.
See ECONOMY, Page 10A
Water district
weighs options
A Clatsop County couple is accused of
killing a Newport man and stealing his motor
home and car before leeing to Arizona.
Christian J. Wilkins, 37, and Adeena M.
Copell, 40, are charged with murder for
allegedly killing 71-year-old Howard Dan-
iel Vinge, whose body was found Friday
wrapped in material off U.S. Highway 30,
about 3 miles east of Astoria.
Vinge apparently died from blunt force
trauma to the back of his head. After the
alleged murder on Sept. 27, Wilkins and
Copell reportedly stole Vinge’s white 1993
Allegro Bay motor home with a dark maroon
1991 Lincoln Continental attached on a
trailer.
The motor home was discovered aban-
doned about 12 miles east of Seaside at the
intersection of U.S. Highway 26 and U.S.
Highway 53.
Wilkins and Copell were found Tues-
day near Flagstaff, Arizona, driving the Lin-
coln Continental they allegedly stole from
Vinge. Arizona troopers stopped the car and
arrested the couple for unauthorized use of a
motor vehicle.
Practical considerations