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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 26, 2017)
144TH YEAR, NO. 236 ONE DOLLAR WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 AT HOME: REAL ESTATE GUIDE INSIDE HYBRID SCHOOL IN ASTORIA MARKS A FULL FIRST YEAR • WEEKEND BREAK • 1C WHO’S IN CHARGE? Clatsop County commissioners split over role Salmon state of disaster sought Oregon, California ask for federal help By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Illustration by Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group Two want board to be more involved Oregon and California are calling for a federal disaster declaration of ocean salmon fi sheries as fi shermen endure yet another bad year. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Com- merce Wilbur Ross requesting an expe- dited declaration of a catastrophic regional fi shery disaster, Oregon Gov . Kate Brown and California Gov . Jerry Brown cite “anomalous oceanographic conditions” in 2016 and reduced fi shing seasons. These conditions, in combina- tion with others, have taken a huge eco- nomic toll on fi shing communities, they write. A disaster declaration — if approved by the federal government — would allow people and businesses that depend on salmon to request federal assistance. Kate Brown said federal assistance and ongoing efforts by states, tribes and local governments are critical to salmon recov- ery and the “long-term health and sustain- ability of our salmon fi sheries and coastal communities.” “Salmon are a vital component of Ore- gon and California’s natural resources and provide signifi cant recreational, eco- nomic and aesthetic benefi ts to both states and Native American tribes,” she said in a statement. See SALMON, Page 7A By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian C hairman Scott Lee opens every Clat- sop County Board of Commission- ers meeting with the same phrase, as C ommissioners Kathleen Sullivan and Lianne Thompson sit to his left and Sarah Nebeker and Lisa Clement to his right. “The Board of Commissioners is the gov- erning body of Clatsop County,” he says. Commissioners, though, don’t seem to agree on exactly what that means. Since the beginning of the year, deliber- ations at meetings have revealed a schism between commissioners over how many decisions they should be making and how much time they should spend researching and deliberating them. While Thompson and Sullivan argue they are not active enough in the county’s decision-making, the rest of the b oard views the c ounty c harter as a reason- able limitation to their abilities. As a result, discussions often center not only on the top- ics at hand, but also whether or not they have been properly examined. See COUNTY, Page 7A Alex Proimos/Creative Commons Trawling nets Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Clatsop County Commissioner Kathleen Sullivan, left, and Commis- sioner Lianne Thompson, right, listen to a presentation at a B oard of C ommissioners meeting held Wednesday. ‘It is made for us to rubber stamp. I have a great concern about this. This is why I’m making noise.’ Lianne Thompson Clatsop County commissioner, speaking about a c harter that was adopted in 1989 in a home-rule style, meaning residents decide how the county’s government is set up and operates Cannon Beach city manager heads to Sisters Kucera has worked on coast since 2014 By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian Green, a circus spokeswoman, said. “It’s like walking back in time, experiencing something that’s joyful.” CANNON BEACH — Brant Kucera, who has served as Cannon Beach’s city manager since 2014, has been named the new city manager of Sisters in Deschutes County. Kucera topped a fi eld of four candidates who visited Sisters for public gatherings and interviews, according Brant Kucera to Joseph O’Neill, the city’s fi nance director . He was selected unanimously by the Sisters City Council Wednesday night. “I felt it was time for a change of pace as far as my job goes,” Kucera said today . “Sisters is a small city but it’s grow- ing fast and I fi nd that opportunity really appealing to me.” Kucera, 46, said he feels he has made a lot of “positive changes” at C ity H all. “I think that overall the direction of the city is positive, however there’s still, See CIRCUS, Page 6A See KUCERA, Page 7A Circus brings fun, controversy to the coast Animal acts are controversial for some in the area By AMY NILE EO Media Group LONG BEACH, Wash. — As big tops across America become bygone curiosities, some still rel- ish the nostalgia of circuses, while others are rooting for their extinction. For the Culpepper & Merri- weather Circus, the show simply must go on. It’s bringing the big top to the parking lot next to the Bols- tad B each approach Tuesday. Performances scheduled for 5 Joseph Lee Novak/Wikimedia The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus’ winter camp. and 7:30 p.m. are expected to fea- ture tightrope walkers, trapeze fl i- ers, contortionists, clowns, fi re-jug- glers and unicyclists. “It’s meant to be the old-time, good, old-fashioned big top,” Alana
