Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 Marijuana smoking lounges could be next in Oregon By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — Smoking lounges could still be the next trend for Oregon’s recreational marijuana market under a con- troversial state Senate bill in the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Marijuana Regulation. Proponents say cannabis smoking lounges would stimu- late tourism and give renters a place to legally smoke. The recreational marijuana law, passed by voters in 2014, has created a conundrum for renters and tourists, proponents say. The law prohibits public consumption of marijuana but allows it in a private residence. If a landlord prohibits marijuana use at a rental unit, or if someone is visiting the state, some renters and tourists may have no legal place to consume the drug. “In reality, this restriction has made the legal consumption of cannabis impossible for many Oregonians who do not own their primary residence, live with small children or those who live in government housing. As a result, many otherwise respon- sible adults are left no other choice but to smoke or vapor- ize cannabis in public, on side- walks, in parks, in cars,” said Sam Chapman, founder of Port- land-based New Economy Con- sulting, which advises cannabis entrepreneurs and investors. State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, testi- fied that even with marijuana legalization, minorities have been prosecuted disproportion- ately for using marijuana ille- gally in public. Allowing smok- ing lounges also would help address that social injustice, she said. Opposition to the bill led to the formation of a committee workgroup that tried to address concerns by public health offi- cials that the lounges could nor- malize marijuana smoking for young people and pollute indoor air. The workgroup proposed changes Tuesday that would require the lounges to be located on outdoor patios screened from public view and would elimi- nate a provision to allow mem- bers of the cannabis industry to obtain licenses to hold tem- porary events where attendees could consume cannabis. Cities and counties also would have to opt in to allow the licenses for the lounges. Despite the concessions, pub- lic health officials continued to express their opposition to the bill during a hearing at the Capitol. “The harms of secondhand tobacco smoke are well-known, and secondhand marijuana smoke is also harmful,” said Katrina Hedberg, state health officer and state epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority. Like tobacco, marijuana smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals and poses a risk to those exposed to it, she said. “By allowing for the social consumption of cannabis, Ore- gon risks the rollback of years of progress related to social norms around smoking,” she said. Even if smoking areas are screened, minors will still be able to smell marijuana smoke wafting from lounges. She said studies show that communities that have hooka lounges have a higher prevalence of smoking among youth. “Social normalization does affect youth so we are very con- cerned about that,” she said. The Capital Bureau is a col- laboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. New public works director for Cannon Beach By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — Longtime Cannon Beach res- ident Jim Arndt is the new director of public works start- ing Monday. Arndt replaces Dan Gras- sick, who retired at the begin- ning of May. Arndt has been in public works for municipalities in Washington state, Colorado and California for more than 40 years. He retired from his most recent post in Manhattan Beach, California, in 2013, but decided to come out of retire- ment to serve a community he has come to call home. “I was actually having cof- fee with my wife when we saw the article in the Cannon Beach Gazette about Dan retir- ing,” Arndt said. “I found that I missed engineering and this was a unique opportunity.” Arndt and his wife have had a house in Cannon Beach on and off since 1988, he said. City Manager Brant Kucera said Arndt stood out as a candidate because of his familiarity with the area, as well as his decades of experi- ence in public works. “I think he’s going to be a great fit,” Kucera said. Arndt said he liked the fact the city has adopted a parks master plan and drafted water and wastewater master plans. “I think the city has been doing a good job looking for- ward with regards to plan- ning,” Arndt said. “Not every city gets that far.” Arndt said he has long-standing passion for util- ity and infrastructure work, and enjoys the challenge of communicating why that work is needed in the community. Arndt will be taking the lead as the city considers water and wastewater master plans many have deemed controver- Oregon jobless rate drops to 3.7 percent Associated Press Oregon’s record-low jobless rate has fallen again. The state Employment Department said Tuesday the unemployment rate for April was 3.7 percent, a slight drop from March’s record-low rate of 3.8 percent. The agency said gains were widespread among major indus- tries, with government among the few sectors to shed jobs. The unemployment rate at this time last year was 5 percent. Over the past year, construction has been the fastest-growing industry, followed by transpor- tation, warehousing and utilities. Boat captain pleads guilty to fuel spill in Warrenton Associated Press The captain of a Washing- ton state fishing vessel has pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by allow- ing a diesel fuel spill from his ship while docked at the War- renton Marina last August. The Emerald Sea spilled about 150 gallons of fuel into the Skipanon River, a tribu- tary of the Columbia River. Prosecutors said crew members told Mark Bow- ers about the mishap when he arrived at the dock, but the captain didn’t report it as required until later con- fronted by U.S. Coast Guard investigators. The Oregonian reported that Bowers will be sen- tenced in September. Pros- ecutors will recommend he serve five years on probation. The vessel’s home port is in Aberdeen, Washington. sial after a rate study proposed a 40 percent increase in water rates to implement it. For the next fiscal year, the city has proposed a 3 per- cent increase to cover oper- ational costs, but the debate over whether or not rates need to be increased in the future is not over, Kucera said. “The community is very active and passionate, and I hope to work with the council and the citizens to come to a mutual agreement that works for the town,” Arndt said. “I’ve worked with councils and the commu- nity for a long time now, and I hope that experience helps.” Bill would require disclosure of seismic risk By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — The state Sen- ate has passed a bill 24-5 that requires property owners to dis- close seismic risk when selling a house. “Currently, a house that was constructed before 1974 may not, in fact, be bolted to its foun- dation,” said state Sen. Rod Monroe, D-Portland. “Now if the big one comes, if your house is not bolted to its foundation, it’ll slide one way or the other, break the natural gas lines, elec- tric cut off, cause fires. It’s a real danger.” The bill, passed by the House of Representatives in late March, would require property own- ers who are selling their house to disclose to the buyer whether the house was built before 1974 and whether the house has been secured to its foundation. “There is no remedy required. It’s a matter of answer- ing those two questions,” Mon- roe said. The legislation now heads to Gov. Kate Brown for a signature. The bill is one of sev- eral showing the Legislature’s increasing focus on preparation for a major earthquake. Geolo- gists and seismic experts expect major seismic activity along the Cascadia fault line could dev- astate communities throughout Oregon, especially along the state’s coastline. Much of Oregon’s infra- structure, such as hospitals, roads and bridges, remain vul- nerable to collapse, according to the 2013 Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission. Lawmakers also continue to approve record amounts of grant money to reinforce the state’s schools against collapse. W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 CO M ING JUNE 2017 O UR 10 th A NNUA L 1 2 3 C op ies d istrib uted throug hout the year to n orth coast hotels, m otels, cham b ers of com m erce, visitors b ureaus, cam p g roun d s, restauran ts an d stores an d in serted in T he D aily Astorian & C hin ook O b server N ew th is Y ea r! Boost you r visibility on n ea rly every pa ge of ou r com m u n ity n ew s sites a n d rea ch m ore tha n 165,000 people a m on th on lin e w ith ou r: F ea tu red Ad P ro g ra m EX PAN D Y OU R PALATE ONLINE • • • • • Visit our Virtua l Coa sta l M en u Guide on lin e T urn th rough virtua l pa ges Click on direct lin ks to resta ura n t w ebsites Access a ddition a l in form a tion coa stw eeken d.com /m en uguide 4 1. 2. 3. R eserve yo u r a d sp a ce in o u r 10th a n n iversa ry ed i tio n : D ea d lin e: M a y 31 Con ta ct you r a dvertisin g sa les con su lta n t for m ore in form a tion : OR E GON : 5 03 -3 25 -3 211• W ASH IN GTON : 800-6 4 3 -3 703 4. CMH cares for the whole family. You can pay your bill online. CMH provides an athletic trainer to schools at no cost. Our volunteers are priceless! 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, Oregon • 503-325-4321 www.columbiamemorial.org • A Planetree-Designated Hospital
