7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 Bills: Rent control bill seen as a short-term fix for a dire need Continued from Page 1A Damian Mulinix/For The Daily Astorian Actress Amanda Todisco, left, will once again co-star in a film by young director Chris Lang. Movie: It’s a mystery with supernatural elements centered around the area lake Continued from Page 1A feel like a lot of people like the mystery and the sort of eerie, dreary mysteries.” “Coffenbury Lake” will feature some of the same actors who played in Lang’s previous film. “I like working in nature,” said Amanda Todisco, a “Val- ley of Ditches” star and co-writer. “I like the creepiness of the woods in the nighttime.” The screenplay placed in the top eight among thou- sands of horror entries at the 2016 Slamdance Film Fes- tival in Utah. Lang hopes to finish “Coffenbury Lake” by August so he can submit the final product to the festival, which will take place again next January. From there, the film likely would go on to play at festivals, such as South By Southwest, Lang said. “That would be a huge boost,” he said. Summer filming Before shooting the film in late July and early August, Lang will be hir- ing more cast and crew. He is speaking with agents in Los Angeles and is looking for candidates through the Screen Actors Guild. The film, featuring six to seven main and supporting actors, 15 to 20 alternate char- acters and 15 to 18 crew work- ers, will be Lang’s largest pro- duction to date. “Coffenbury Lake” is a mystery with supernatural ele- ments. Set in a small, dreary coastal town in the Northwest, it involves a serial killer who would murder and leave vic- tims’ bodies around the lake. But one year after the killer is caught, more murders occur in the same place. “It draws the detective that basically gave his entire life to solve this case back into it, and he has to face his past ghosts,” Lang said. Lang hopes audiences will appreciate the film’s mes- sage of hope through dire circumstances. “It’s not a positive movie,” Lang said. “Sometimes in the worst tragedies in life people get so beat down, but I feel like, in this film, our protag- onist uses that as almost like a tool that other people can’t access.” Pot lab: Olsen’s approval can be appealed Continued from Page 1A Jewell Superintendent Alice Hunsaker was not immediately available for comment. Concurrence In his ruling, Olsen con- curred with most of the county planning staff’s find- ings in the original approval of Plew’s application, saying most of the concerns raised are around generalized oppo- sition to marijuana legaliza- tion and Plew’s facility being an “attractive nuisance” to students. “I concur with staff that the starting point is that the state has determined that marijuana facilities generally are com- patible with schools provided there is compliance with 1,000(-foot) buffer and other restrictions on operations,” Olsen said. Olsen said there is no evidence of impacts beyond those associated with other allowed uses. “The only one arguably applicable is odor,” he said. “If this property was located in a more dense area that might be a concern but given the remote location and dis- tance from any other uses, I find that this criteria is met with conditions as proposed by staff.” Williams: Will spend Earth Day in Portland at the March for Science Conditions Plew’s project must limit objectionable odor, dust, noise, vibration and appear- ance. He must provide all required state and federal per- mits to the county. Plew must secure an approved commer- cial site plan, signage per- mits and a flood-plain devel- opment permit because of a nearby creek. His business cannot open before 9 a.m., and no mari- juana-related products or pro- duction space can be visible from the outside of the build- ing. Plew must keep an emer- gency contact to receive com- plaints and concerns from the school district. Olsen found that Plew has been disingen- uous in saying he was required to include a retail store as part of his proposed operation. The retail portion, which Plew can eliminate, must not be more than half of his building’s footprint. Olsen’s approval can be appealed to the county Board of Commissioners. • Public pensions — In a narrow committee vote Monday, the Senate Work- force Committee referred Senate Bills 559 and 560, which would change pub- lic employee benefits in an effort to bend the cost curve of the Public Employees Retirement System, to Ways and Means. • GMOs — Compan- ion bills that would have allowed local governments to regulate genetically mod- ified crops are among the casualties midway through the session. Under state law, most local governments can’t restrict seed. House Bill 2739, which would allow landowners to sue bio- tech patent holders for the unwanted presence of genet- ically modified organisms, or GMOs, on their land, was passed to House Rules Com- mittee, which isn’t subject to the legislative deadline. • Pay equity — HB 2005 would increase civil penal- ties for paying women and minorities less than oth- ers who do the same work. It passed out of the House 36-24 after extended debate. As a result, it met Tuesday’s deadline, and will be dis- cussed in the Senate Work- force Committee. • Carbon emissions — SB 557, which would create a “cap-and-invest” system for pricing greenhouse gas emissions from large emit- ters and use the proceeds for things like transporta- tion infrastructure projects. It still survives by way of refer- ral to the Rules Committee, and subsequently, the Senate Business and Transportation Committee. • Rent control — HB 2004, which would lift a statewide ban on rent con- trol, has been a popular bill as Portland and other areas of the state struggle with a housing shortage during a time of strong population growth. It’s been criticized for failing to address the root of the housing problem here, but advocates say that it’s a short-term fix for a dire need. The bill has passed out of the House and still survives. • Transitional leave — SB 935 would expand the maximum amount of time someone can be released from prison through the state’s short-term transitional leave program from 90 to 180 days, part of the state’s efforts to reduce the burden on the state prison system. It has been referred to Ways and Means. • Child welfare — SB 942, which initially would have required the Department of Human Services to con- duct a study on child safety, was replaced by an amend- ment that would require the agency — which has been beset with child safety issues — to improve how it makes findings in investigations of child abuse. It’s now in Ways and Means. •Guns — A series of Sen- ate bills that provoked emo- tional testimony at the Leg- islature Monday did not pass out of chamber, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get reintroduced through rules or through other revival mech- anisms. Senate Bill 868, for example, which would cre- ate a court process to prevent someone at risk of suicide or harming someone else from possessing a gun, was instead inserted as an amendment to another bill that did make it out of committee Tuesday. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. Earth Day Continued from Page 1A R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian Jewell School District has lost its appeal to keep a mari- juana laboratory from coming in at a site near the school. The Daily Astorian/File Photo A marijuana laboratory is planned near Jewell School. Williams has noticed warmer summers and more mosquitoes around her ocean- view home. She’s quick to point out other parts of the world have seen more severe consequences of climate change, such as deaths from food and water scarcity and air so polluted it makes peo- ple sick. “Is it going to get better on its own? We think not,” Wil- liams said. Solar and wind energy and lithium batteries are now cheaper and more reliable so she’d like to see more renew- ables being used. The shift would help the economy by putting people back to work while improving the environ- ment, Williams said. “It’s not a storm of doom and gloom,” she said. “There is hope.” Williams has long put her effervescent enthusiasm into caring for the environment. As a Uni- versity of Southern Califor- nia sophomore, she took part in the first Earth Day celebra- tion on the Los Angeles cam- pus in 1970. This year, she plans to spend Earth Day on Satur- day in Portland at the March for Science. She’ll miss the People’s Climate Move- ment march to pick up trash at home during the beach cleanup on April 29. Williams is working to pass a healthier planet down to the next generation by helping people make changes before it’s too late. “We must. We can. And we will,” she said. “You don’t have to go green to make a difference, just be a little greener.” Saturday, May 13 th , 2017 Assistance League® the Columbia Pacifi c’s 10 th Annual Help Clothe Kids N e w Full color, scenic montage postcards of Astoria now available at the Daily Astorian office! SCHEDULE OF EVENTS • FREE • N O A DMISSION R EQUIRED 11 AM -12 PM Free for Kids: Golf Clinic & Putting Contest Kid’s Raffl e - Tickets $1.00 or 6 for $5.00 (Bicycles & other great prizes - tickets sold at event) 11 AM -1 PM BBQ Lunch $5.00, Kids under 5 eat Free! (Sponsors: Subway, Knutsen Insurance, Reed & Hertig) 12:15 PM Helicopter Ball Drop - Free to attend (Balls landing closest to the pin Win!) How to Win a Golf Drop Raffl e Package: Buy Golf Balls pre-event for $5 per ball. Each ball represents 1 chance to win. Balls closest to pin WIN! 1 Prize per person Purchase tickets at Holly McHone Jewelers or contact assistanceleaguecolumbia@gmail.com Prizes generously donated by the following businesses: (All tickets must be purchased in advance. A maximum of 2000 golf balls raffl e tickets will be sold. You do not have to be present to win) 4 Seasons Clothing, A Gypsy’s Whimsy, AAA of Oregon, Assistance League Members, Astoria Knappa Wishing Tree Program, Baked Alaska, Bikes & Beyond, Bridge- water Bistro, Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, Cannery Pier Hotel, Cellar on 10th, City Lumber Co., Columbia River Maritime Museum, Columbia River Bar Pilots, Complete Beauty Med Spa & Salon, Doogers, Dots & Doodles, Driftwood Restaurant, Dundee Dining, Dutch Bros., Erickson Floral, Escape Lodging, Fairweathers House & Gallery, Finn Ware, Forsythea, Fulio’s Restaurant, Fultano’s & Funland, Gearhart Bowling Alley, Gearhart Crossing, Gearhart Golf Links, Gimre’s Shoes, High Life Adventures, Homespun Quilts, Human Bean, Liberty Theater, M’s Alterations & Dress Boutique, Maiden Oregon, Martin Hospitality, Old Town Framing, Prana Wellness Center, Purple Cow Toys, Rachel’s Quilts, Salon Verve, Shear Pleasures Salon, Silver Salmon Grille, Sisters Olive & Nut Co., T. Paul’s Urban Cafe, Ter Har’s, Vintage Hardware, Winekraft, Young at Heart Paper Crafting THANK YOU TO OUR MAJOR EVENT SPONSORS Columbia River Bar Pilots Tourists, visitors, family & friends will love sending these! 949 Exchange Street, Astoria • 503-325-3211 Astoria Golf & Country Club Senator Betsy Johnson Warrenton Fiber We are a volunteer organization focused on promoting self-esteem and emotional well being of children in our community. 100% of all proceeds go to children in Clatsop County. Visit us at: www.assistanceleaguecp.org