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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 2016)
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 144TH YEAR, NO. 93 Astoria pursues judgment against Smithart ANXIETY, RELIEF MARK ELECTION DAY More than 60 percent of county voters cast their ballots early By KATIE FRANKOWICZ For The Daily Astorian E very election, offi cials see several types of voters: The ones who get their ballots in early and the ones who rush their ballots in at the last minute. In Clatsop County, with more early ballot returns this election than in the last two presidential elections, there is a third category. “We heard from several early voters that they ‘just wanted to get it over with,’” said County Clerk Valerie Crafard. In fact, across the state, the contentious race between Demo- cratic presidential candidate Hil- lary Clinton and Republican can- didate Donald Trump seems to have prompted a wave of early voting. Early ballot returns in Oregon Valerie exceeded 1 million, according to Crafard the Secretary of State’s Offi ce . This number — 1.29 million — accounts for roughly half of Oregonians eligible to vote . At this same point in the 2012 presidential election, 1.1 million — or 50.6 per- cent — of Oregon voters had cast their ballots. In Clatsop County, the Elec- tions Division had received 15,135 ballots as of Monday, representing just over 60 percent of c ounty voters. “Now the push is on to process all those ballots,” said Crafard. By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian The city has lost patience with Brad Smithart. The former operator of the Astoria Riv- erwalk Inn agreed in June to a payment plan on nearly $120,000 in back hotel-room taxes. But Smithart has fallen behind on the installments and has not returned the city’s calls. The City Council voted Monday night to authorize City Attor- ney Blair Hennings- gaard to seek a judg- Brad ment against Smithart Smithart in Circuit Court. “It’s been going on for so long, and we can’t even reach him now. Numerous attempts have been made to talk with him,” Mayor Arline LaMear said after the vote. “We bent over backward to give him terms that we felt he could handle, and he agreed to that when we did it. “So he’s just, at this point, ignoring the City Council and that sets a very bad precedent.” See SMITHART, Page 7A Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Sheryl Holcom, Clatsop County elections technician , prepares to scan bal- lots for counting at the county Elections Office Monday in downtown Astoria. HOW TO VOTE Swim club shocked by lane charges • Clatsop County Clerk’s Office, 820 Exchange St., Astoria The Astoria City Council on Monday night sank a plan to enforce lane rental fees at the Astoria Aquatic Center after the North Coast Swim Club warned that it might have to fold or scale back lap time for young swimmers. The Aquatic Center is supposed to charge $25 an hour per lane, but the swim club and Astoria High School have not been paying rental fees under arrangements with previ- ous parks administrators. Angela Cosby, the director of the Parks and Recreation Depart- ment, recommended that the swim club pay $5 an hour per lane effective today and $10 an hour per lane starting in November 2017. The youth discount did not go over well with the swim club, which estimated that the rental fees would cost an extra $9,000 this fi scal year and $18,000 next year. The non- profi t’s annual expenses are around $30,000. “We were shocked,” Patrick Wingard, the swim club’s president, told the City Council. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to receive ballots • 24-hour drive-up dropbox, outside 820 Exchange St., Astoria Catching up Up to 8 p.m. to receive ballots See ELECTION, Page 7A • Warrenton City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. • Cannon Beach City Hall, 163 E. Gower 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to receive ballots • Gearhart City Hall, 698 Pacific Way 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to receive ballots (closed noon-1 p.m. for lunch) • Seaside City Hall, 989 Broad- way 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to receive ballots Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard A visitor to the Lane County Election of- fices in Eugenehelps herself to a “I voted” sticker after casting her ballot Monday. Pool fees sink after complaints All ballots must be turned in by 8 tonight. It is too late to mail them . Clatsop County voters should instead turn completed ballots in at the Elections Division or drop them off at designated drop boxes. These are located in the following areas: Early turnout and high numbers of voters in gen- eral are to be expected during a presidential race, elec- tion offi cials said. In the fi rst four days after Clatsop County voters received ballots, residents turned in more than 5,000 ballots, representing 20 percent of the county’s eligi- ble voters . At this same time in the past two presiden- tial elections — in 2008 and 2012 — the offi ce hadn’t even hit the 1,000 ballot mark yet. The sheer number of early returns was not com- pletely unexpected, but still came as a surprise to GO TO DAILYASTORIAN.COM FOR COMPLETE ELECTION COVERAGE ONE DOLLAR 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. to receive ballots • Knappa High School, 41535 Old Highway 30 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to receive ballots By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian See POOL, Page 7A Bond Street to reopen to two-way traffi c Street limited after 2007 slide By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian Bond Street, limited to one westbound lane after a 2007 landslide near Uniontown, will open to two-way traffi c again by next September. The narrow street will be widened and a retaining wall will help stabilize the hillside. The project, which will restore an alternative east-west route through the city, is one of sev- eral as the city expands the Astor West Urban Renewal Area. The city intends to fold 12 acres and 43 tax lots into the redevelopment zone. The city will make money available for redevelopment assistance, affordable housing, storefront improvements and the retain- ing wall. A conference center, which was a key element of the urban renewal plan for Uniontown when it was fi rst adopted by the city in 2002, will drop out of the plan. A task force recommended a decade ago that the idea be scrapped. Kevin Cronin, the city’s community development direc- tor, said Bond Street should be ready for two-way traffi c again by next September. He said the street will be widened in the area of the land- slide near Hume Avenue from about 12 feet to about 20 feet, still narrow but wide enough for two-way traffi c. The City Council gave ini- tial approval Monday night to expand the Astor West Urban Renewal Area. A fi nal vote is expected later this month. “I think that the reopening of Bond Street to two-way traffi c is very important, not only from a livability standpoint, but also as an alternate route in emer- gencies or times of high con- gestion,” City Councilor Zetty Nemlowill said. “Expanding the urban renewal district boundar- ies to improve housing in Asto- ria is also an added benefi t.” Alex Pajunas/The Daily Astorian Mud trickles onto Bond Street from the landslide that oc- curred in 2007. The city hopes to open the street to two- way traffic again by next September.
