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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2017 College seeks Hundreds attend rally in designation as Salem for immigrant rights maritime center National drive Bill likely filed in Congress By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Clatsop Community Col- lege is hoping a new piece of federal legislation will desig- nate the school as one of the country’s few maritime cen- ters of excellence. College President Chris- topher Breitmeyer said the legislation — the Domestic Maritime Centers of Excel- lence Act of 2017 — is being planned by 18 members of the U.S. House of Represen- tatives and 16 members of the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation can designate community and technical colleges as centers of excel- lence for workforce training. The designation grants those schools technical assistance, surplus federal equipment and funding from the federal government. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, pre- viously sponsored the Mari- time and Energy Workforce Technical Training Enhance- ment Act in 2015. The leg- islation would have created the first-ever community and technical college Centers of Excellence program and directed the U.S. Department of Energy to award grants to expand maritime training programs and partnerships. The bill was introduced but never passed either chamber of Congress. Ali Mayeda, a spokes- woman for Bonamici, con- firmed the congresswoman is working on a similar piece of legislation with other con- gressional representatives. “Congresswoman Bonamici strongly supports workforce training pro- grams that help people gain high-demand skills and suc- ceed in the workplace,” Mayeda said in an email. “Clatsop Community Col- lege is uniquely situated to continue to meet the needs of the maritime workforce with high-quality, hands-on education. In the previous legislative session she was proud to advocate for more resources to support work- force training like” the col- lege’s Marine and Envi- ronmental Research and Training Station. Breitmeyer said he has not been told when the leg- islation might be introduced. Quest for excellence The college has been try- ing for some time to become a federally designated mar- itime center of excellence, which can provide additional financial and other supports. A year ago, the college board approved applying for capital construction bonds from the state to add a sec- ond story to the training sta- tion’s main administrative and classroom building, at a cost of more than $8 million. Breitmeyer said the proj- ect has fallen to the bottom of a funding priority list for this biennium, likely because of similar bonds the college recently received for the Patriot Hall redevelopment. “If not funded now, we’ll go for it in the next biennium,” Breitmeyer said. The training sta- tion includes U.S. Coast Guard-approved classroom instruction and at-sea expe- rience aboard the college’s training vessel, the Forerun- ner. The maritime sciences program offers everything from an associate degree in vessel operations to one- week classes for experienced mariners seeking additional certifications. In 2013, the college was named the only commu- nity college with a Coast Guard-approved Training Ship Program, which bol- sters the credentials of grad- uating students trying to become able-bodied seamen and operators of uninspected vessels in near-coastal and inland waters. In 2014, the college was named Oregon’s Maritime Training College by a state resolution. Tribes lay remains of Kennewick Man to rest Associated Press KENNEWICK, Wash. — The ancient bones of the Kennewick Man have been returned to the ground. The Tri-City Herald reported that early Satur- day, more than 200 members of five Columbia Plateau tribes and bands gathered at an undisclosed location to lay the remains of the man they call the Ancient One to rest. That’s according to an announcement Sun- day by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Umatilla board mem- ber Aaron Ashley says they always knew the Ancient One was Indian. But tribes waited more than 20 years to rebury the bones. Tribal representatives met at the University of Wash- ington’s Burke Museum in Seattle on Friday to claim the remains. Former President Barack Obama signed legislation in December requiring the 8,400-year-old skeleton to be given to the tribes within 90 days. ner Homeow ship and Financial Education Workshops Commnunity Action Team will be holding two (2) free education workshops during the month of February in Clatsop County. The classes are held on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm in our Astoria offi ce as follows: Homeownership Workshop: Feb. 18 th Financial Education Workshop: Feb. 25 th The Homeownership Workshop teaches shopping for a home, fi nancial readiness, understanding mortgages, the closing process and how to protect your investment. The Financial Education Workshop teaches budgeting, saving, goal setting, credit management, and improving overall fi nancial health. Community Action Team is your local HUD Approved Agency. Pre-registration is required. Call (503) 325-8098 or e-mail cindkp@cat -team.org. counters Trump Associated Press SALEM — Hundreds of people demonstrated Sunday in front of the Oregon State Capitol to support immigra- tion rights. Yesica Navarro braved the cold weather and spoke in the Capitol Mall about growing up as an immigrant. She said she came to the U.S. as a child with her family, and they man- aged to succeed despite the odds. “We love this country, and we want to be accepted. This is our home,” Navarro told the Statesman Journal. The crowd, which orga- nizers said approached 1,000, cheered and clapped as cars driving along State Street honked, the newspaper reported. The rally was part of a national effort called Immi- grants’ March Presidents Day 2017. The people drawn to the event were a mix of immi- grants and nonimmigrants. Donna and Mark Maynard of Salem, along with their dog Maiah, held a sign that said: “We the people are greater than fear.” The couple, who come from a family of immigrants, said they had previously stayed away from political activism. Now, however, they feel the need to speak up for immi- grants’ and women’s rights. Molly J. Smith/Statesman Journal Hundreds gather at an immigration rights rally in front of the Capitol on Sunday in Sa- lem. Molly J. Smith/Statesman Journal Maya Lopez, one of the event’s organizers, claps as DACA recipient Leo Reyes speaks about his ex- perience as an immigrant. Moayad Adham speaks about his journey as a Syr- ian immigrant at an immi- gration rights rally. Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia speaks at an immigration rights rally. “This year is different,” Donna Maynard said. “It feels like we have to.” Micki Randall of Silver- ton and his three children held posters depicting a Lego figu- rine saying: “Immigrants are awesome!” Maya Lopez of Portland said a small group started organizing the gathering about three weeks ago. Molly J. Smith/Statesman Journal Molly J. Smith/Statesman Journal Timber companies sue over expansion of Oregon monument Associated Press MEDFORD — Two Ore- gon lumber companies are challenging the legality of for- mer President Barack Obama’s expansion of the Cascade-Sis- kiyou National Monument. Murphy Co. and Murphy Timber Investments LLC sued in federal court in Medford Fri- day naming President Donald Trump and federal agencies. The Mail-Tribune says the Trump administration could choose not to defend the lawsuit. Before leaving office, Obama added about 48,000 acres to the monument in southwestern Oregon days to protect its biodiversity. Murphy Co. President John Murphy says more than 80 per- cent of the federal land in the expansion area is dedicated to timber production under the O&C Lands Act. He says removing those acres from the timberland base managed by BLM will reduce the supply of timber sold and jeopardizes the company’s log supply. Murphy Timber Invest- ments argues the expansion will reduce the value of about 2,100 acres of timberland it owns within the boundary as well as land outside it. Bill advances in Washington that would exempt some info about wolf attacks By PHUONG LE Associated Press SEATTLE — A bill that would exempt from public disclosure personal informa- tion about people who report or respond to wolf attacks in Washington state has cleared a House committee. The Washington Depart- ment of Fish and Wild- life and other supporters cite death threats received by state employees, ranchers and oth- ers and say the measure is needed to protect those who deal with wolves. Opponents say the bill would make it impossible for the pub- lic to know who, including state employees and contractors, is involved in the state’s wolf management programs. The bill would exempt from disclosure personal infor- mation of people who report wolf attacks as well as those who participate in state pro- grams aimed at preventative measures such as range riders. House Bill 1465 was amended and passed out of the committee on state gov- ernment, elections and infor- mation technology. It now awaits a House vote. State Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila, who chairs that committee, said a state wild- life employee presented com- pelling testimony earlier this month about the threats work- ers face from carrying out the state’s wolf policies. Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife wolf policy lead Donny Martorello told lawmakers that he put his family in a hotel last year over such concerns. “It creates exemptions and it does remove information from the public domain, and I think the reason we did that was to protect the (state’s wolf) policy and the people that are involved,” Hudgins said in an interview Friday. W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Custom Threads Store Curt g n i s o l Hullender C Sale 2-20-1988 75 % O ff EVERYTHING With you went so much of me. Fixtures for sale Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm 1282 Commercial Street Astoria OR 97103 503-325-7780
