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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 12, 2017)
144TH YEAR, NO. 226 ONE DOLLAR WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 Gearhart lottery decision disputed ‘HEART-WRENCHING’ Dozens of cats in limbo HOARDING ARREST PUTS STRAIN ON ANIMAL SHELTER Owner files land use appeal for video games By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian GEARHART — A Gearhart cafe owner wants video poker in his establishment, and he’s planning to take the city to the state Land Use Board of Appeals to get it. After a denial by the Planning Commis- sion and a subsequent denial of his appeal by the City Council, Gearhart Crossing owner Terry Lowenberg announced his intent to challenge that decision at the state level. If he wins the appeal, he could install at least four video poker machines to be located behind an 8-foot-tall wall display in an area adjacent to the restrooms. “It appears to me there’s a difference of opinion whether or not the city can actually regulate the location of those machines in the cafe itself, within the city of Gearhart,” Lowenberg’s land use attorney Greg Hatha- way of Hathaway Coback and Connors said Thursday. “It looks to me as if the use itself is actually allowed as an accessory use to the cafe. We would disagree with the city’s deci- sion because we believe the city probably had the authority to approve it. Therefore, the denial was not legal.” See GEARHART, Page 7A Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian TOP: Clatsop County Animal Shelter Supervisor Stephen Hildreth comforts one of the cats that was recently rescued from a woman who had dozens of animals in a vehicle. BELOW LEFT: A some of the cats brought to the shelter after being rescued were pregnant and gave birth shortly after arriving at the Clatsop County Animal Shelter. BELOW RIGHT: One of the dozens of cats rescued from a vehicle gets some attention at the Clatsop County Animal Shelter Wednesday. face tougher penalties than Kittles did, if she is convicted. By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Environment plays havoc with salmon forecasting Recreational fishery is postponed this week By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Oregon fishery managers have postponed a catch-and-release salmon and steelhead fishery on the Columbia River set to open this weekend, and say abnormal water con- ditions this spring have flung them, and their ability to predict what will happen next, into new territory. As of Wednesday, only 26,000 of the approximately 160,000 forecasted upriver spring Chinook salmon had been counted at Bonneville Dam, according to the Ore- gon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This low count, coupled with the number of fish that fishermen in a recreational fishery downstream of the dam have already caught, is delaying the opener of an annual recre- ational jack Chinook salmon and hatchery steelhead fishery. This fishery allows fishing from Tongue Point to upriver at the Interstate 5 bridge. A cat hoarding arrest in Warrenton has caused an emotional and financial strain on the county animal shelter and revived memories of a similar case that attracted national interest two decades ago. Kathryn St. Clare was arrested in April after she was found with 42 cats in her Chevrolet Suburban, including one that was dead. The 58-year-old Lake Stevens, Wash- ington, woman has been charged with 40 counts of animal neglect and one count of first-degree animal abuse. Court documents revealed she may have failed to seek treat- ment for one cat infected with feline leuke- mia, a terminal disease, causing it to spread to other cats in her care. St. Clare’s arrest is reminiscent of an animal hoarding case that roiled Clatsop County and helped change Oregon law. In 1993, Vikki Kittles, who had a history of hoarding, was arrested in Brownsmead Adoption possible Kathryn St. Clare after keeping 116 dogs, four cats and two chickens inside a school bus. The prognosis for many of St. Clare’s cats is grim, and the influx of animals at the Clatsop County Animal Shelter has caused headaches. But stronger state laws inspired by the Kittles case may force St. Clare to Initial tests following St. Clare’s arrest indicated most of her cats likely would need to be euthanised, but continued examina- tions have offered a more hopeful outlook. Bayshore Animal Hospital Director Dr. Brad Pope initially estimated more than half of the cats would not survive. As tests con- tinue, though, two-thirds of the cats appear likely to be adopted. So far, six cats have either been euthanised or died naturally due to leuke- mia or upper-respiratory problems. Tests will continue for another week to confirm which cats are infected. An additional 10 kittens have been born since the arrest. Pope, who typically visits the animal shelter just a few times each year, has made See KITTENS, Page 7A See FISHERY, Page 7A State’s winningest baseball coach calls it quits Astoria’s Gasser heads home after 35 years By NICK DASCHEL The Oregonian BEAVERTON — Oregon’s all-time baseball coaching win leader insists this season is it. Astoria’s Dave Gasser has said this before. He retired in 2002 from Lakeridge, only to find a promising situation in Astoria a few years later. Five years and two state titles later, Gasser retired again, only to be drawn back to the Fishermen program in 2013. But 2017 will be Gasser’s 35th and final season. It might not end until June 3, when the Class 4A state title game is contested in Keizer. “This is how for real it is: At the end of last summer, I handed a written resignation to the principal, the AD, and most importantly, my wife. Thirty-five years is enough, to be living with a husband who is gone a lot, and always has baseball on his mind,” Gasser said “This is a great group to go out with, but this is definitely sayonara.” Gasser, 65, was lured back to Astoria for another run in 2013 when the Fishermen needed a coach. A group of eighth-graders, who attended Gasser’s first Astoria base- ball camp as 7-year-olds, were about to enter high school, adding to the attraction. Gasser’s commitment at the time was five years, end- ing when those eighth-graders became seniors. He’ll go out with those nine seniors when- ever the season ends. But it’s clear Gasser doesn’t think it’s going to end any time soon. Astoria (17-4, 12-2) are on the brink of winning the Daily Astorian/File Photo See GASSER, Page 8A Dave Gasser addresses his team following a loss to New- port in the 2008 state championship game.
