DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017 144TH YEAR, NO. 154 ‘To honor his memory’ ONE DOLLAR Warrenton grad rates on the rise School goes from last in the pack to top tier By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Lt. Devin Hepner’s family, including (front row) father Ron and mother Carolee Hepner, his wife, siblings and others, traveled from Washington, Utah and Idaho for his memorial Tuesday at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Air Station Astoria. Coast Guard, family, friends remember fallen comrade See GRAD RATES, Page 9A New year brings cleanup crusade in Long Beach By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian T he family of Lt. Devin Hepner sat in the front row at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Air Station Astoria Tuesday, surrounded by servicemen in dress blues packing the cavern- ous hangars to honor a fallen comrade. The Coast Guard memorialized Hepner, 34, a marine inspector from Mendon, Utah, who was based in Warrenton. He died of pul- monary embolism Jan. 16 while at an investi- gating officer course in Training Center York- town, Virginia. The ceremony included commanders from Hepner’s Marine Safety Unit Portland, Sector Columbia River and District 13, which over- sees the Pacific Northwest. Hepner’s fellow guardsmen paid tribute, led prayers, read scrip- ture and fired off a three-volley salute. Mayor targets eyesores By AMY NILE EO Media Group Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian A portrait of the late Lt. Devin Hepner in his service dress whites, along with a pair of his operational dress blues, looked over his memorial Tuesday at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Air Station Astoria, during which his compatriots donned service dress blues. Coast Guard family “It was nothing short of amazing,” said Hepner’s father, Ron, of the support the Coast Guard has shown his family, helping care for his son’s wife, Erin, and four daughters Saman- tha, Aurora, Audrey and Juniper. The family flew in from Idaho, Utah and Washington state for the memorial. Hepner’s mother, Carolee, said it meant a lot to the family when his close friend and former comrade in officer candidate school, Lt. j.g. Ross Phillips, traveled from Honolulu to accompany Hepner’s body from Newport News, Virginia, to Salt Lake City. At the airport, an honor guard watched over the transfer to a hearse for the drive to Mendon, where another honor guard acted as pallbearers at his funeral and performed a 21-gun salute. See HEPNER, Page 9A WARRENTON — Over the past five school years, Warrenton High School has steadily climbed from the worst to nearly the best in Clatsop County at grad- uating students in four years. Since 57.9 percent of the MORE class of 2012 graduated in INSIDE four years, the worst mark in the county, the school has Charts show seen continual gains, with Clatsop more than 63 percent in 2013, County 66 percent in 2014 and more graduation than 69 percent in 2015. Last rates. year, more than 74 percent of Page 9A Warrenton students gradu- ated on time, nearly the highest rate among the county’s three larger school districts. Over the same period of time, Astoria High School has increased from less than 60 percent to a nearly 73 percent four-year grad- uation rate. Seaside, which has historically had a stronger graduation rate, increased from 69 to 74.4 percent over the past five years. Knappa, which boasted the second-high- est graduation rate five years ago at more than 72 percent, fell off into the mid-60s for three years, but built graduation back above 70 percent last year. The state as a whole has increased graduation from 68.4 percent in 2012 to 74.8 percent last year. LONG BEACH, Wash. — The mayor is continuing to set his sights set on ridding the city of eyesores. Jerry Phillips has been working to clean up ramshackle lots and bedraggled build- ings. He took the helm as mayor last year after serving 10 years on the City Council. The city plans to demolish a dilap- idated house on Fourth Street North- east within the next month. After that, Phillips wants to find Jerry a fix for half a dozen Phillips other shabby spots, such as a rundown building that once housed a thrift store and pharmacy on Pacific Avenue and 14th Street South. He also hopes to clean up the aban- doned filling station next to Ferrellgas. “This is what people see coming into Long Beach,” Phillips said. “I think it’s terrible.” City money Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Erin Hepner, wife of the late Lt. Devin Hepner, and her four daughters attended his memorial Tuesday at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Air Station Astoria, surrounded by her husband’s comrades. The mayor is tired of using public dol- lars to make sure private-property owners See CLEANUP, Page 7A Cannon Beach public works director to leave Grassick credited with upgrades, parks plan By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — Dan Grassick, the city’s public works director since 2013, will be leaving Cannon Beach to spend time with his family. The public works director supervises the work of 13 employees and manages an average annual operations budget of $5 million and an average capital budget of $500,000. “The expertise you had with that guy was amazing — you almost never find it in a town of this size,” City Manager Brant Kucera said. Because of vacation time accrued, Grassick plans an April 28 departure. “My life priorities shifted recently and I realized I need to focus on my wife and grand- kids while I am still able and healthy,” Grass- ick said. “I have enjoyed my time here with the entire management team and especially the pub- lic works staff. These are very dedicated and pas- sionate staff who take pride in the work they do every day for the citizens, as well as environmen- tal sustainability.” Nationwide search Grassick was hired in 2013 after a nationally advertised search that drew 35 applicants. With the U.S. Air Force for 29 years, both active duty and reserve, he worked in an engineering capac- ity as an instructor, liaisons officer and com- mander before acquiring municipal works expe- rience in Albany and Lebanon. Kucera credited Grassick with water, waste- water and parks master plan development See DIRECTOR, Page 7A Dan Grassick is leaving his post in April after being Cannon Beach’s public works director since 2013. R.J. Marx The Daily Astorian