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7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016 Foster homes: More than 50 percent of foster children are in care less than a year ‘We can provide structure and love and a safe environment.’ Continued from Page 1A of physical abuse, chronic neglect, exposure to domestic violence and a parent’s addic- tion to drugs and alcohol. “They have been wit- nesses to events and experi- enced events, due to no fault of their own, that we as a community need to help rem- edy,” Mabry said. Sending children to a fos- ter home gives parents time to turn their lives around — per- haps get sober, end an abu- sive relationship or establish themselves as capable guard- ians — while the child con- tinues to be nurtured. The ultimate goal is to reunify the child with a par- ent. More than 50 percent of foster children are in care less than a year, Youngflesh said. “Kids want to be with their moms and dads or a relative,” she said, “and foster parent- ing is something that you are doing temporarily to help sort of safeguard children, give them a place, while their bio- logical parent is working on their barriers.” Fostering An aspiring foster parent looking to get certified must Danny McCarley a life coordinator at Oregon Youth Authority who grew up in an unstable household pass a background check and home inspection, and take a class through the Department of Human Services that cov- ers, among other topics, how to care for abused children. The foster parent is given a stipend and must provide food, shelter, clothing, a sleeping area and other basic necessities. He or she serves as the primary contact for the child’s school; makes day care arrangements and sched- ules extracurricular activi- ties; and drives them to their medical, counseling and court appointments. The Department of Human Services offers support and resources along the way. In addition, the foster parent is expected to work closely with the biological parent, in part so that the child knows the adults are collab- orating to mend the broken household. For example, the state advises foster parents to con- sult with biological parents before the child gets a haircut. “That’s a real trigger for most parents, if somebody else has cut their child’s hair without their consent,” Mey- ers said. ‘What we can provide’ A foster parent’s respon- sibilities are many — and so are the rewards, Mabry said. “They get to read a good- night story to a kid who may not have heard a good- night story for a very long time. They get to be part of this child’s improvement in school. They get to share Hal- loween with the child. They get to teach a kid how to read,” she said. “It’s like being any other parent,” she added, “except, at the end, if everything works out the way it should, that child goes home, and the foster parent has made a huge contribution to the health and happiness of that child.” Danny McCarley grew up in an unstable household and now works as a life coordina- tor at Oregon Youth Author- ity in Warrenton. He said he chose to become a foster par- ent with his wife, in part, because he could help break the cycle of abuse that he was subjected to while growing up. “For me, it comes down to: I know what we can pro- vide. We can provide struc- ture and love and a safe envi- ronment,” he said, adding: “Because I know what the alternative is, I just can’t let that happen on my watch.” He and Michelle said choosing to become foster parents is a way to give back to their community. But, surrounded by kids filling in coloring books, eat- ing yogurt and playing with each other — the living room alive with the chirpy chatter of happy youngsters — they said there was more to it: “We just love every kid that comes in here,” Danny McCarley said. Contractor: Port can’t interfere in process Continued from Page 1A Subcontractors from Granite Construction started midday Thursday laying the initial layers of asphalt from Naselle Rock & Asphalt Co. to level Runway 13-31, which has a northwest-south- east approach 4,400 feet long. Mark Janicek, an engi- neering technician for Preci- sion Approach Engineering ensuring the project meets Federal Aviation Adminis- tration standards, said sub- contractors needed the nice weather Thursday and today to just finish paving to level the runway. “We need five dry days to finish paving, at least, after these two,” he said Thursday. Corpac, of Corvallis, was chosen as the general con- tractor in January to rehab the runway. “The closure of 13-31 has been more of an inconve- nience than an impairment, but it needs to get done and put back into service,” said Gary Kobes, the Port’s air- port manager. Kobes said the strip pro- vides a safer landing in north- westerly winds more com- mon in summer. The main approach at the airport is Runway 8-26, running east- west 5,700 feet. Kobes said H OLIDAY B OOK S ALE Prosecutorial conduct can include actions taken outside the courtroom and before trial, the judges wrote, and do not need to be related to a partic- ular trial. Absolute immunity applies regardless of the accuracy of a prosecutor’s conclusions about a witness, the judges wrote, and even if the judg- ment is unfair or driven by personal hostility. Prosecutors and other gov- ernment officials receive abso- lute immunity from liabil- ity so they can carry out their official duties without fear of Barn: Structure has racked up $30,000 in fines Continued from Page 1A Attorney Peter Watts said Wednesday. “If she were to have an event we would ask the judge hold her in contempt of court. Whether that would involve fines or incarcera- tion, that would be the judge’s determination.” Smith said Thursday she would comply with the deci- sion, although there is “some confusion” about what is and is not a commercial purpose. Smith said the court con- sidered the city’s arguments on only a portion of the case. “Material facts are still in dispute and it appears the city did not fully disclose to the courts the full interpreta- tion of the (Gearhart) Munic- ipal Court decision made last December,” she said. Injunction Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Crews with paving subcontractor Granite Construction press asphalt delivered by Naselle Rock & Asphalt Co. Thursday. The general contractor, Corpac Construction Co., is incurring $2,500 a day in damages after failing to finish by an Oct. 14 deadline. a third of the project was repairing drainage under the runway, a third mobiliz- ing materials for the proj- ect and a third paving more than 400,000 square feet of tarmac. Corpac had intended to start July 11, he said, but delayed to August because of other projects. “In our opinion, they simply wasted a lot of good weather,” Kobes said. Compounding the situa- tion is the rainy season and winter. Paving a runway requires a dry surface and air temperatures of at least 45 degrees. The National Weather Service predicts rain Saturday through Tues- day, with a chance of show- ers through at least Thursday. The project received more than $4.5 million from the FAA, along with a $480,000 match from the state Depart- ment of Transportation Con- nect Oregon V infrastructure grant program. The Port pro- vides a smaller local match for the state grant. Kobes said the Port can’t interfere in the contrac- tor’s process, but can record the damages on behalf of the state and federal agen- cies funding the work. He said the company will likely push back on the damages, not wanting to lose the rev- enue, but “I think the facts will bear out that they just simply didn’t apply enough resources to the project.” DA: Marquis ‘pleased that it appears to be over with’ Continued from Page 1A The Daily Astorian/File Photo The Neacoxie Barn is off limits for commercial uses, after an injunction from the Clatsop County Circuit Court. constant legal threats. “The decision by the Clat- sop County District Attorney’s Office to cease using Barnett as a witness falls squarely within the type of prosecutorial con- duct that is protected by abso- lute immunity,” the judges held. “Whether that decision was made directly in response to Barnett’s article criticizing Marquis is immaterial.” ‘High ethical standard’ Marquis, who was repre- sented by the state Attorney General’s Office, said he is “pleased that it appears to be over with.” “I think it simply goes to the fact that we demand, and for the most part receive, a very high ethical standard among the law enforcement in Clatsop County,” the district attorney said. “And that’s the way it will continue.” Barnett, who retired from the Seaside Police this year, is disappointed his claims of civil rights violations have not been heard by the courts. Both the district court and the appeals court focused on the ques- tion of absolute immunity, not the underlying issues of free speech and due process. Barnett has the option of asking the full 9th Circuit to hear his case or appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. “I get the law. I under- stand the law,” Barnett said. “But nobody — nobody — is above the law, including our DA, who is using the shield of immunity.” Neacoxie Creek Barn has racked up $30,000 in fines in the midst of a long legal history. Envisioned as a commu- nity events and art space, the barn maintains an internet presence — described as “a place for your gathering” — and accepts donations to pre- serve the barn. Smith does not have a conditional use permit that will allow her to use her property as an event center, inside or out, Gearhart City Administrator Chad Sweet said, and she does not have an occupancy permit for the barn, a former livery stable. “Even though she didn’t have a conditional use per- mit, even though she didn’t have an occupancy permit, she continued to have events inside the barn,” Sweet said. When violations contin- ued, the city told the court the former livery stable was uninhabitable and posed an immediate threat to the health and safety of the gen- eral public. They sought and received a temporary injunction. Wednesday’s ruling makes it permanent, Sweet said, unless Smith provides a conditional use permit and certificate of occupancy. If Smith is found to host commercial events, Gear- hart’s fire chief has authority to shut things down, Sweet said. “Then we will cite her in Circuit Court.” Historic resource? Smith said she has submit- ted plans and fees to the city for a building permit, but the city refused to review them as they are required to do. “I do expect to file an appli- cation with the city that will allow this historic resource to be used and preserved,” she said Thursday. The city provided some documents but not others crit- ical for “a complete under- standing and determination of this case,” she added, and put statements out without facts or specifics. These alone should have required the court to deny summary judgment. “The municipal court has already held that I don’t need a conditional use permit to host weddings in the barn, and the city did not challenge the court’s decision,” Smith said. With an injunction in place, enforcement could be a sticky matter at a venue that hosts wedding nuptials and family reunions. Could the city pull a bride out of her off the Neacoxie Creek Barn property on her wedding day? “That’s definitely a ques- tion for the police chief,” Watts said. “What we do know now is we can.” 1116 Commercial Astoria, OR fi nnware.com Discover Scandinavian Design 29 th Birthday SALE NOV. 11-13 SAVE 29 29 % ON ALMOST THE ENTIRE STORE A DDITIONAL % OFF CLEARANCE ITEMS Augusta from Nomadic Artistry will be demonstrating and taking orders during Arts Night Out. All of her jewelry will be 20% off . 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