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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 2017)
144TH YEAR, NO. 191 WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017 ONE DOLLAR Parks boss makes pitch for fee to raise funds Selling little-used parks would still be on table By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Diane Berry, an Oregon Equestrian Trails member, stands next to one of the horse corrals on Tuesday at Northrup Creek Horse Camp. The camp is an important place to Berry, and because of Oregon Department of Forestry budget cuts, the camp’s future is uncertain. HORSE PUCKY Fee increase, special permit at horse camp rile campers By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Area in detail Ore. 30 CLATSOP STATE FOREST CLATSOP STATE FOREST COLUMBIA CO. CLATSOP CO. Northrup Creek Horse Camp Birkenfeld H orse enthusiasts are challenging a proposed fee that would make camping at Northrup Creek Horse Camp more expensive beginning this summer. The Astoria Forest Protection District, citing budget cuts, released a plan that would require campers with horses to apply for a special-use permit. The permit would charge $175 per night for the campground for a minimum two-night stay. Campers in previous years could pay a $15 per-night fee upon arrival at the site without a permit. The Oregon Department of Forestry has called for $3 million in cuts in the upcom- ing state budget, 70 percent of which will come from districts in northwest Oregon, Astoria Assistant District Forester Ty Wil- liams said. The department has instituted a hiring freeze along with the cuts, meaning just three staff members — based out of the district offi ce an hour away from Northrup Creek — manage the fi ve campgrounds in Clatsop State Forest. With all of the expenses associated with maintaining the campground, the department likely will not receive any profi t from any fee increases, Williams said. Though open through November, the 11-campground site just north of State Highway 202 between Jewell and Birkenfeld reaches peak use typically from Memorial Day weekend through The city of Astoria may impose a utility fee on Pacifi c Power customers to boost the Parks and Recreation budget and help stabi- lize the department’s operations. At a City Council work session Thurs- day, Angela Cosby, the parks and recreation director, proposed the fee during a presen- tation that told the story of the parks bud- get — a story of department obligations gradually overwhelming its personnel and fi nances. Cosby and several park staff members showed up with four small seesaws — rep- resenting aquatics, recreation, mainte- nance and administration — depicting how requirements came to outweigh resources as the department added services and programs, created and eliminated staff positions, while general fund transfers have stagnated or declined. Under Cosby’s proposal, nearly 5,000 utility customers would pay a fee of $5.92 a month, plus a monthly 51 cents for residen- tial customers or 55 cents for commercial customers to their Recology bill for garbage services. The department expects to bring in slightly more than $350,000. Parks and Rec has seven full-time employees that manage about 300 acres of parkland, nine miles of trails, 12 indoor facilities, and the department’s recreation, aquatics and child care programs, accord- ing to the parks master plan. The money would add to the depart- ment’s existing revenue streams, which include general fund transfers and user fees. It would pay for — among other assets — an additional three full-time employees; increase wages for cashiers, child care pro- viders and parks maintenance workers; and update the franchise agreement with Recol- ogy to include garbage, and possibly recy- cling services, within parks. See PARKS, Page 9A See HORSE CAMP, Page 9A Jewell 103 er halem Riv Ne 202 N 2 miles Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group The Daily Astorian/File Photo People walk along the playground of Al- derbrook Park during a parks tour in 2015. ‘It’s totally unrealistic for this camp. That will effectively kill the camp.’ Diane Berry member of Oregon Equestrian Trails, which helps maintain the state-owned campground, day-use area and adjacent 9-mile trail for horse riders Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian A trailhead at Northrup Creek Horse Camp is named after Diane Berry, an active member with Oregon Equestrian Trails North Coast Chapter. Fulton wants Port to evict ‘Man Cave’ City Council hopes to halt J.C. Penney’s shuttering Letter highlights town as important retail hub By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian Escalating his political campaign against a private hangar at the Astoria Regional Airport known as the Man Cave, Port of Astoria Com- missioner Stephen Fulton wants the Port Com- mission to evict the owner and make room for Life Flight Network’s new hangar. Fulton, who has asked for an emergency meeting of the commission, said the move could spare the Port from needing a $1.96 mil- lion bond measure in May to help fi nance a Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian In the wake of J.C. Penney Co.’s deci- sion to close Astoria’s 101-year-old store, the City Council plans to send the company’s CEO a letter today asking him to reconsider. The chain department store recently announced it would soon shutter two dis- tribution facilities and 138 stores, including the historic location in downtown Astoria, to help the company’s bottom line. Astoria’s residents are already mourn- ing the loss. On Monday, the City Council authorized Councilor Cindy Price to draft the letter to CEO Marvin Ellison, which the entire council later signed. The letter does not offer a sentimental plea to save the store on Commercial Street, but a pragmatic rundown of reasons that might rekindle the company’s fi nancial inter- est in the area. See ‘MAN CAVE’, Page 5A Philip Bales’ Man Cave includes a fully stocked bar adorned with a portrait of movie star John Wayne. See LETTER, Page 9A Commissioner says Life Flight should have that airport location By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian