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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 2017)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017 FRIDAY EXCHANGE Utility reserves? he minimum Cannon Beach util- ity bill 20 years ago was $20.28. Today it is $46.42, a 129 percent increase. Had utility rates risen along with inflation, it would be $29. In 1991 the city passed Ordinance 91-8, raising the lodging tax from 5 percent to 6 percent, with all pro- ceeds earmarked for water and sewer reserves. I estimate that the city col- lected roughly $6 million over the last 25 years under this ordinance. In the mid-1990s, the city built a water filtration plant. It was funded by a bond. In the last 10 years, the city upgraded the wastewater system. It was also funded by a bond. I can only think of three major water/sewer projects funded from these reserves: replacement of the pump station in the Stephanie Inn parking lot (roughly $750,000); cost overruns on the waste water plant (about $1 million); and the north end water tank (maybe $500,000). If the city claims these reserves no longer exist, it would suggest a diversion of funds or an embezzle- ment. A safer explanation would be that these funds are just invested in unusual investments, such as an RV Park ($3 million), 58 acres of clearcut ($500,000), chicken and egg sculp- tures, etc. If these proposed improvements are actually needed — which I ques- tion — then the discussion should be about which investments will be sold, not how to raise more money. KEN QUARLES Cannon Beach T Voting for Cottle aving been a former teacher of 5- to 21-year-old students, and hav- ing served on civic boards for many years, Mary Beth Cottle would be an asset to the Clatsop Community Col- lege Board. Her experience, as well as her willing attitude to work with oth- ers, is a plus. I have found Mary Beth willing to go the extra mile to solve a problem, and bring her information and exper- tise to the table in such a way that we all benefit from her knowledge. I know I will vote for Mary Beth. MARLENE LAWS Cannon Beach H Stokes is leader am excited to support Mindy Stokes for the Clatsop Care Health District Board, Position 1, in the spe- cial election May 16. She is uniquely qualified to serve in this public office. For four years she served as their social services director and then as their care memory community admin- istrator. She is well known for her community activism and effective outreach, building new collaborative partnerships. She has strong convictions with leadership skills that support social justice values and positive quality of life issues that benefit all commu- nity members. She has proven experi- ence in advocating for the elderly, and those who are most vulnerable. Clatsop Care Health District and our entire community will be well served with Mindy in Position 1. She is ready, willing and able to serve in this most important position. Please cast your vote for this uniquely quali- fied, proven community leader. MARY BLAKE Seaside I Integrity, smarts for Port obs. The local economy. Our kids and their future. These are just some of the issues at stake in the May 16 Clatsop County election. That’s when we voters get to elect the pol- icy-makers for the Port of Astoria, Clatsop Community College, local school boards, and the Clatsop Care Health District. I’m supporting Frank Spence to be commissioner of the Port of Asto- ria. The Port benefits the entire county and is partly supported by county tax- payers. The Port deals with all kinds of challenges, including pollution from upriver, safety requirements, industry demands, increased automa- tion and federal rules regarding over- sight, safety and trade. Frank has served on the Port’s budget committee for two years and knows what it takes to keep the Port running effectively and within bud- get. His career was as a city man- ager and county administrator. He has the skills, experience, and integrity to keep our port running well and wisely. I’m especially glad Frank is run- ning because it’s more important than ever to have commissioners look- ing out for the welfare of the entire county. Frank doesn’t create dramatic headlines. Instead, he wants to do the right thing — and make the best deci- sions — for all of us. I’m voting for Frank Spence and hope you will, too. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 16. Postmarks don’t count. LAURIE CAPLAN Astoria J Flugelball should be an Olympic sport if someone kicks you, or if you flugelball seriously. So you am eighth-grade student at trip and fall on your face. know how good it feels to win, I Flugelball Broadway Middle School. Finally, flugelball is like right? And it is easy to win in should be a summer Olympic sport. There are five reasons flugelball should be a summer Olympic sport. First, it’s fun. It is fun because it has a funny name. It’s completely random, because if you kick a ball into radishes, you look ridiculous because you are inside air-filled balls. You get to bump each other around like a bunch of bouncy balls. Second, it’s a national sport. Pretty much all schools play flugelball. A lot of people take Lum for school board t is my pleasure to write this let- ter of support for Lori Lum for the board of directors of the Sea- side School District. Many commu- nity members invest extensive time and effort into their local schools. Lori has taken this to a different level. She is personally invested in each of our schools as a positive force in support of our local children. For many years, Lori has served as a classroom volunteer, an offi- cer in the Parent-Teacher Organiza- tion (PTO), and most recently, she co-chaired two successful ballot mea- sures. Lori was co-chairwoman of our 2015 Local Option Levy to con- tinue Seaside School District to offer programs and services they otherwise could not provide for the schools. Immediately following the pas- sage of the Local Option Levy, Lori co-chaired the 2016 School Reloca- tion Bond that will provide for relo- cating the three deteriorating schools that are in the tsunami inundation zone. This bond passed by the great- est margin of any school district in Oregon. Lori Lum will make an outstand- ing member of Seaside School Dis- trict’s Board of Directors. She is the General Manager of Lum’s Auto Cen- ter, and her extensive business and finance background will be a great asset. She also regularly communicates with parents and community mem- bers, consistently finding ways to col- laborate and encourage adults to play an active role in students’ education. Lori has a wealth of energy, insight and skills. She is a master at juggling many tasks and is able to clarify and priori- tize issues. I highly recommend Lori Lum for the board of directors of the Seaside School District. DOUGLAS C. DOUGHERTY Superintendent-emeritus, Seaside School District I Restore order at Port n May 16 we have a very important choice to make. That choice is, what kind of Port Commis- sion we want to have. There are three positions up for election. This ballot- ing is for the entire county. In other words, the three positions up for elec- tion can be voted on by all voters. There are no boundaries, or districts. The commissioners represent all the citizens of Clatsop County, so you may for for all of the positions. There are three candidates who should get your vote. They can help restore credibility and bring much- needed civility and common sense back to the Port: Jim Campbell, Frank Spence and Dirk Rohne. These men all bring experience to the job. Jim Campbell has been on the Port Commission. He has shown the ability to work with the others on the commission, and to be a calm- ing force. Frank Spence has years of experience in finance working as a city manager and county administra- tor. Dirk Rohne served as a county commissioner and on the Clat- sop Community College Board. He understands how to get things done. The present situation at the Port is, to put it mildly, unacceptable. It seems that daily we read about some- thing, be it costly mistakes that cost the Port money, outbursts at a meet- ing or commissioners making accu- sations of other commissioners. This is no way to operate a port. By vot- ing for Jim Campbell, Frank Spence and Dirk Rohne, you will help restore order, continuity and just plain sanity to the Port of Astoria. So join me and many others and vote for Jim Campbell, Frank Spence and Dirk Rohne on May 16. BOB LENNON Warrenton O Dirk, Jim and Frank for Port Commission magine the economic engine that the Port of Astoria’s marinas and airport could be. Marine and air facil- ities that promote sustainable eco- I flugelball — so if people play flugelball, they will win. Third, it is an extreme work- out. You run across a football field. You push against other people. And you kick a ball into a goal of radishes. Fourth, you don’t get hurt. You are on a big old soft mat. You are wearing a big bulky helmet. You are inside, and I mean literally inside, a big air- filled ball. I mean, the only way you can get hurt is either other sports. You kick a ball just like in soccer. You run just like in track or cross-country. You bump people like in hockey. And you get treated like you are in football. So as you can see, flugelball should be an Olympic sport. It is fun, it’s a national sport, it is an extreme work out, you don’t get hurt and it’s like other sports. HAYDEN SPRATT Gearhart nomic growth, and that provide com- munity and visitor access to services. A Port that protects and advances our maritime heritage through respon- sible stewardship of resources. A Port Commission that works together with Port staff and for the benefit not of narrow personal interests, but for all of Clatsop County and the communi- ties at the mouth of the magnificent Columbia River. This year we have the opportunity to elect Port Commission leadership that will work with sanity, civility and reason to help create a thriving Port of Astoria. Got Dirk? We have known Dirk Rohne and his family for many years. The challenge Dirk took on to become a county commissioner eight years ago, during another time of dis- cord and disrepute, shows his ability to redeem honor. Dirk is a fundamen- tally decent guy. Like the best parts of Clatsop County, he’s authentic. We know that he will be a good, thought- ful, and innovative steward. We have followed the work of Frank Spence and Jim Campbell for many years, too. We know them to be men of integrity who will ensure transparency and responsibility. Dirk, Jim and Frank are not run- ning as a slate. They came to their decisions to run separately, and have separate campaigns. They may not agree on all issues. They are men of independent thought and action, who have a proven ability to consider- ately deliberate and arrive at a wise decision. We urge you to vote for Dirk, Jim and Frank for Port commissioners. CINDY PRICE and JOSH MARQUIS Astoria to snow or have hurricane winds? In tornado country, there are cellphone alerts if there is a tornado approach- ing your location. Would you want that alert? According to the late top U.S. mil- itary intelligence officer Charles Jef- ferson, it was the development of the microchip which won the Cold War against Russia, not all the military and weapons development. Ignorance and denial are nowhere. Education and science are so important. All of these developments are based on the scientific method: observing, measuring and testing what works and how it works, making a hypothesis and retesting. Observ- ing: I noticed that Glacier Park’s 250 very large glaciers had melted down to 50 much smaller glaciers when I visited four years ago. Why? Measur- ing: Just how big were those glaciers and how big are they now? Compare aerial views etc. What is happening in other parts of the world? Is there a trend, etc.? Don’t give up on the scientific method now. Decisions still need to be made, however: Is this can opener worthwhile? Is nuclear energy com- patible with life as we know it? (No.) Was something useful and economical before, but now becoming incompati- ble with life as we know it? What new developments do we need to replace it? Can we further develop solar and wind energy (North Dakota is thriv- ing economically on wind energy and Vermont is on solar energy), etc.? Don’t give up on the method of discovery. MONICA TAYLOR Astoria Cottle for college board A he reasons I am voting for Mary Beth Cottle for a board mem- ber of the Clatsop Community Col- lege are her experience, her vision and optimism to meet the challenges of the 21st century. As an educator in English liter- acy development and technology for 23 years for ages 5 through 21, she has also evaluated and developed cur- riculum for those same ages. As a member of an active weekly Can- non Beach committee called “Voices in Action,” Mary Beth is an excellent listener and team player dedicated to improve our democracy. As a technology board member for the Cannon Beach Community Cho- rus, she is enhancing communica- tion for busy members via Facebook. You can rest assured that Mary Beth will work tirelessly to advocate for the arts, vocational training and technol- ogy for both the main campus and sat- ellite centers. JEANIE McLAUGHLIN Cannon Beach T Three for Port ecause of the importance of the Port of Astoria’s impact on all of Clatsop County, I ask folks here to join me in supporting Dirk Rohne, Frank Spence and Jim Campbell in the coming election. There is so much potential, the creation of an asset that few cities can cite. We are so fortunate to have this here. SANDY REA Seaside B Science at work cience is being questioned. Sci- ence is in the news. For those who are being led to question the scientific method: Do you like your refrigerator, your washing machine, your cook- ing and heating stoves, your canned, bottled and frozen foods, your tele- phone and cellphone, your TV and computer? Do you like your automobile and paved roadways, and cement walk- ways and basements? Do you like your indoor plumbing, electricity and gas, and your house/shelter? Do you take an occasional aspirin, or put Neosporin on a cut? Have you taken an antibiotic for your pneumonia? Do you wear glasses or a hearing aid? Do you like to know if it is going S Let’s all protest Declaration for a National Day of Protest: When in the course of a human life it becomes necessary for even the passivists among us to pro- test, a decent respect for the tranquil- ity and comfort of our fellow citi- zens requires that we do so on a single day. We thus declare the fourth day of March of every year to be a National Day of Protest. We hold this truth to be self-ev- ident, that all persons, during the course of a lifetime, are irked by some of the actions of our fellow man, and “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” It is unjust that the “activ- ists” only march hither and yon, get the headlines, get their pictures in the newspapers, “go viral,” and are inter- viewed on television. Passivists of the world, hold a march, hold hands, carry signs bear- ing inane slogans, buy a bumper sticker, protest. Your team blew a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl? Pro- test. Your husband ran off with the nanny? Protest. You ordered a corned beef sandwich and got pastrami? Pro- test. Your cat has a hernia? Protest. Come out of the shadows of quiet restraint. Passivists of the world, pro- test! You have nothing to lose but your anonymity. On March fourth, march forth! LOUIS SARGENT Gearhart Spence, Campbell, Rohne s you open your ballot for the May 16 local elections, please remember these three names: Frank Spence, Dirk Rohne, Jim Camp- bell. These are three honest, indepen- dent, knowledgeable men who you can count on to lead the Port of Asto- ria out of its ugly present to a success- ful future. There has been a blizzard of balo- ney in the past several weeks from the very worst Port commissioners, try- ing to blame everyone but themselves for the mess they have made. The interests they represent are different from the interests of the Port, Clatsop County and our citizens. Frank Spence, Dirk Rohne and Jim Campbell are free of that bag- gage. They are running to work with a good professional staff to build a port that is an economic engine for the entire county; a port that is clean, aboveboard, effective and environ- mentally sound. Please vote for all three for the A 5A Port of Astoria. Frank Spence, Dirk Rohne, Jim Campbell. To be sure your votes are counted, mail ballots only until May 12. After that, drop off ballots in person before 8 p.m. on Election Day May 16. ROGER ROCKA Astoria Vote Campbell, Rohne and Spence s a former Port of Astoria com- missioner, I was appalled, but not surprised, to read the article emailed me by a friend, “Memo alleges threats against Port’s Knight” (The Daily Astorian, April 21). I served almost two years as a fel- low Port commissioner with Bill Hunsinger. From my own experience, I well understand Jim Knight’s predic- ament and frustration. During one of our public workshop meetings, I had to get up and leave due to what I felt were Commissioner Hunsinger’s bul- lying tactics. I returned later that eve- ning for our regular meeting to vote on agenda issues. The article about Port Commission President Robert Mushen having a medical emergency because of stress, “Mushen stricken at Port meeting” (The Daily Astorian, April 5) simply highlights the seriousness of the dys- functionality of the Port Commission. In my opinion, for the Port Com- mission to operate at a functional level two things need to happen: Hunsinger needs to be recalled; and Jim Campbell, Dirk Rohne and Frank Spence need to be elected next month so Hunsinger will not have any allies on the Port Commission. When I was on the commission it took two com- missioners to get an item put on the agenda. I would also hope that the sitting commissioners would forgo the tradi- tion of simply rotating the offices, as it will be Hunsinger’s turn to be com- mission president beginning July 1, if I am correct in my calculations. The Port Commission president, while not wielding any more actual power than any other commissioner, is the one who runs the commission meetings, oversees the agendas and attends various meetings as the Port’s representative. He or she has to work closely with the executive director in putting the agenda together for each meeting, and coordinating any special meetings that need to be called. While we no longer live in Asto- ria, we still own a house there and pay property taxes, part of which goes to support the Port. Please perform your due diligence by voting. I encour- age all of you to vote for Campbell, Rohne and Spence in the Port Com- mission races. KATHY F. SANDERS Staunton, Virginia A Civility needed at Port latsop County needs Port com- missioners who can get along, be civil and solve problems in a respectful and professional manner. People who can work together for the Port of Astoria and the people of Clatsop County. That is why I am going to vote for Frank Spence, James Campbell and Dirk Rohne. DIANE FINUCANE Astoria C Lum serves greater good am writing in support of Lori Lum’s candidacy to the Seaside School District Board of Directors. The Lum family is well known in the commu- nity for their altruism and support of a diverse array of community interests, and Lori is no exception to this trait. I have known Lori for a number of years, and in the recent past, I had the opportunity to work alongside her to pass two important bond measures for Seaside schools. Her dedication to improving the quality of educa- tion in our area is unparalleled. She is an active participant in parent teacher organizations at all three schools in the district and serves as co-presi- dent of the PTO at Broadway Middle School. She was co-chairwoman of the committee to renew a Local Levy Option in 2015, which provides over $1 million per year in operational funding for the Seaside district. In 2016, she served as co-chair of the Vote Yes for Our Local Schools cam- paign committee, a year-long proj- ect that resulted in passage of a bond to fund relocation and construction of new schools in Seaside. She is the general manager of Lum’s Auto Center, a mother of four, and yet, she makes time to serve in the name of the greater good. She is seemingly tireless in her ability to attend meetings, garner support and find the resources necessary to propel a vision of improved education for our community. I don’t think we can find a more knowledgeable, capable can- didate for this position. Please join me in casting your ballot for Lori Lum. MARY BESS GLORIA Seaside I