DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017
144TH YEAR, NO. 228
ONE DOLLAR
GET ELECTION COVERAGE TONIGHT AT DAILYASTORIAN.COM
Astoria
may add
yard debris,
glass pickup
Construction excise
tax also debated
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, which includes the replica of Fort Clatsop pictured above, contributed $23 million in
economic impact in the area last year, according to figures recently released.
Lewis and Clark park
spreads the wealth
National parks
contribute to the
local economy
BY THE NUMBERS
$23M
the amount of economic
output the Lewis and Clark park
contributed to the surrounding area
By JACK HEFFERNAN
The Daily Astorian
284,531
L
ewis and Clark National Historical
Park’s steady rise as a local economic
boon continued in 2016.
The park contributed nearly $23 million
in economic output for the area, according
to a report from the U.S. Department of the
Interior. By that measurement, it sits in the
top 50 percent of the country’s more than
380 national park units. It also ranks third
out of Oregon’s six park units, contributing
nearly 17 percent of national parks’ contri-
butions to the state.
“We also feature the park as a way to
introduce our visitors to the communities
at the mouth of the Columbia River and all
that this area offers,” Superintendent Jon
Burpee said.
Lewis and Clark, a nearly 60-year-old
park, saw a record 284,531 visitors last
year. Those visitors spent nearly $16.5 mil-
lion in communities surrounding the park.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
See PARK, Page 4A
A visitor takes a tour of the replica of Fort Clatsop on
Monday. More photos online at DailyAstorian.com
the number of visitors to Lewis
and Clark park last year, which
was a record amount for the park
$16.5M
the amount of money those
visitors spent in communities
surrounding the park
260
the number of jobs that were
added, which led to $8.6 million
in additional labor income
‘We also feature the park as a way to introduce
our visitors to the communities at the mouth of
the Columbia River and all that this area offers.’
Jon Burpee
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park’s superintendent
$5.3M
the amount of money area
hotels hauled in from the
park’s economic output
$3.7M
the amount of money area
restaurants hauled in from
the park’s economic output
The Astoria City Council looked at a gar-
bage and recycling services rate increase and
a construction-related tax Monday night, but
delayed making any deci-
sions until there was a bet-
ter sense of what these
increases would mean for
the community.
Community Develop-
ment Director Kevin Cro-
nin plans to attend the North
Coast Building Industry
Kevin
Association’s annual meet-
Cronin
ing on Thursday to get
feedback on a potential construction excise
tax. This tax, based on a building’s value,
would increase what a developer or contrac-
tor working on a commercial building devel-
opment project pays for a permit.
See COUNCIL, Page 9A
Short-term
rental rules
under fire
‘Repeal and replace’
gains steam in Gearhart
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
GEARHART — The city of Gearhart
misrepresented a challenge to new short-
term rental rules, a Clatsop County Circuit
Court judge has ruled.
A summary of a ballot initiative to “repeal
and replace” the legislation underwent sig-
nificant changes as a result of the decision,
issued by Judge Dawn McIntosh on May 4.
“This is a huge win,” Gearhart property
owner David Townsend said Monday. “What
we’ve said solidly from Day One is that the
current regime at City Hall is very solidly
against vacation rentals. The city was trying
to completely manipulate the language. The
judge agreed with us, that they were 99 per-
cent wrong. I’ve been doing this a long time
and it’s the first time I’ve seen a judge com-
pletely rewrite and take everything from one
side. ”
According to the revised summary, the
ballot measure would repeal special regu-
lation on vacation rental dwellings related
to off-street parking, residential appear-
ance, garbage service, septic-sewer capacity
inspections and cesspool requirements not
required of other Gearhart residents.
Some elements of the original ballot ini-
tiative prepared by the city are retained in
the rewritten summary, including a vote on
future short-term rental zoning amendments,
See GEARHART, Page 4A
Attorney: Man jailed to hide sheriff’s corruption
Jones’ lawyer has filed a
new appeal, including sworn
declarations from local drug
LONG BEACH, Wash. dealer Peter Boer that on the
— A man convicted of shoot- night of the shooting, his
brother Nick, a repeat
ing a Washington state
felon, “took credit” for
trooper in 2010 is seek-
it and sent Peter Boer
ing a new trial, saying
to dispose of gun parts.
another man confessed
Peter Boer also
and that the trooper
alleged a motive,
deliberately misidenti-
though no evidence
fied him — something
has emerged to sup-
the wounded trooper,
now a sheriff, ada- Sheriff Scott port it: Johnson had
Johnson
been shaking down
mantly denies.
his brother for money
Martin Jones, 53,
is serving a 50-year sentence in lieu of arrest. Jones’ law-
after being convicted of shoot- yer, Lenell Nussbaum, said
ing Scott Johnson in Long that explains why the trooper’s
Beach. Johnson is now the statements differed from those
of the only other witness — a
county sheriff.
By GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press
tow-truck driver who was with
Johnson when he was shot,
and who said Jones wasn’t the
culprit.
“Johnson falsely identified
Jones as the shooter to conceal
his own corruption,” Nuss-
baum wrote.
“That’s ridiculous,” John-
son told The Associated Press.
“It’s not true.”
Nick Boer, who says he has
been clean for six years, also
denied it, calling his brother
“exotic in his imagination.” He
and Johnson said they didn’t
even know each other.
“If that guy’s in there inno-
cent, I feel bad about that,”
See SHERIFF, Page 4A
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Susan Jones poses for a photo in a restaurant in Long Beach,
Wash., as she holds a picture of herself with her husband Mar-
tin Jones, who was convicted in the Feb. 13, 2010 shooting
of Scott Johnson, who was then a Washington state trooper.