DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2016
144TH YEAR, NO. 75
ONE DOLLAR
COMING FRIDAY: THE DAILY ASTORIAN ENDORSEMENTS
ALL THINGS
CRANBERRY
CRANBERRIAN FAIR CELEBRATES
THE ‘CRADLE’ OF THE TASTY BERRY
Get set
for big
thwack
Winds, rain will rival
some historic storms
By NATALIE ST. JOHN
EO Media Group
LONG BEACH, Wash. — Meteorolo-
gists are warning that this weekend could
bring a series of unusually severe, poten-
tially destructive storms, and emergency
planning experts are urging residents who
live in the path of the
storms to start pre-
MORE
paring now. Though
it’s always possi-
INSIDE
ble that the storms
Power,
internet
could lose power
outages blanket
or change course,
North Coast.
weather experts seem
Page 4A
genuinely concerned
— especially about
the tail-end of Typhoon Songda, which is
expected to make landfall on the coast Sat-
urday. The National Weather Service has
issued high-wind warnings and storm warn-
ings for much of Oregon and western Wash-
ington , as well as gale warnings for near-
shore areas.
See STORMS, Page 4A
Luke Whittaker/EO Media Group
Self-guided tours of cranberry harvesting at the Pacific Coast Cranberry Research Foundation allowed attendees to see the fruit
harvest first hand.
By LUKE WHITTAKER
EO Media Group
L
ONG BEACH, Wash. — Most came out of curiosity about
the cranberry industry, others simply wanted a piece of the
famous pie. In total, more than 600 people attended the 91st
annual Cranberrian Fair during a drippy weekend on the
Measure 97
might get
makeover
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
coast.
“People are fascinated with how cranberries are grown and
produced,” executive director of the Columbia Pacifi c Heritage
Museum Betsy Millard said. “And we’re the cradle of it.” A cele-
bration of all things cranberry, the festival featured bog tours, live
demonstrations, presentations and craft vendors during the two-day
event.
See FAIR, Page 4A
Luke Whittaker/EO Media Group
Luke Whittaker/EO Media Group
Blacksmith Gary Lewis hands a freshly forged nail to an
attendee following a demonstration Saturday during the
Cranberrian Fair at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum
in Ilwaco, Wash.
Janet Herring, 85, of Ocean Park, Wash., has been weaving with
cranberry vines for more than 20 years. Her baskets, wreaths
and coasters were among dozens of cranberry-centered crafts
offered by vendors.
SALEM — Before Oregonians even cast
their vote on a $3 billion corporate sales tax
proposal on the Nov. 8 ballot, state lawmak-
ers are considering ways to redesign the tax
in the 2017 legislative session.
The
“gross
receipts” tax, con-
tained in Measure 97,
requires “C” corpora-
tions to pay the state
2.5 percent of their
annual Oregon sales
exceeding $25 million.
If Measure 97
passes, “this will be
the dominant issue
of 2017,” said Sen.
Mark
Mark Hass, D-Bea-
Hass
verton, chairman of
the Senate Finance and Revenue Com-
mittee. Hass’s committee already has fi led
placeholder bills to address the measure
after the election.
While Gov. Kate Brown released some
general goals in June to dampen the nega-
tive impact on certain businesses, this is the
fi rst time lawmakers have spoken publicly
about possible proposals they could offer
next session.
Lawmakers could make small fi xes to the
See TAX, Page 4A
County seeks foreclosure on Surf Pines rental
Owner has not
paid room taxes
By DERRICK
DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
“Contemporary
living
in Surf Pines!” teases the
Airbnb listing for a four-bed-
room house on Sea Breeze
Drive with an open fl oor
plan, wonderful art work and
an awesome view.
Jill Storey is renting out
her home as a vacation rental
for $300 a night, plus a 9.5
percent county room tax.
But Storey has not paid a
penny in county room taxes
since she started listing the
property in 2014.
The Clatsop County Board
of Commissioners, hoping
to set an example, took the
unprecedented step Wednes-
day night of authorizing a
foreclosure lawsuit in Cir-
cuit Court to collect $7,845
in unpaid taxes.
Heather Reynolds, the
county counsel, said it is the
fi rst time since the county
room tax was adopted in
1990 that the county has
had to foreclose to obtain
payment.
Vacation rentals are pop-
ping up on the North Coast as
homeowners take advantage
of the surge in tourism and
the ease of tapping into the
home-sharing economy.
Government is push-
ing back, however, because
of the potential for vacation
rentals to change the char-
acter of neighborhoods and
drive up rental costs in a
region with a lack of hous-
ing. Gearhart’s new vacation
rental rules have divided the
community. Cannon Beach
is looking at a possible cap
on short-term rentals, while
Astoria has discouraged new
vacation rentals.
Airbnb
See RENTAL, Page 4A
The owner of a vacation rental in Surf Pines is facing a
foreclosure lawsuit over unpaid county room taxes.