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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2017)
DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017 144TH YEAR, NO. 244 ONE DOLLAR Neighbor to buy J&H Boatworks Worries surface at Port meeting over future of North Tongue Point By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian JEWELL SPENDS BIG TO BRING TRACK HOME RUNNING WITH PRIDE Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Coach David Fix points out a sometimes swampy patch of grass used by Jewell School athletes for discus and shot put. The Jewell School District is preparing to spend more than $700,000 to renovate its track and field, including improved drainage, track resurfac- ing and new landing areas for discus, shot put and jumps. The school hopes to host events, which it has been unable to do for years. By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian W Megan Golden/Submitted P hoto Jewell School junior Emma Guillen shows how the track is falling apart. hen retired Lewis and Clark College track c oach David Fix joined the coaching staff at Jew- ell School in 2015, he said, the prior year’s team had only two girls and four boys. The program has grown over the past few years, this spring drawing 18 athletes, a third of the high school’s students . In recognition of the growth, the small, timber-rich Jewell School District is prepar- ing to spend $705,000 to reno- vate the track and fi eld this sum- mer into a venue capable of hosting meets. Superintendent Alice Hunsa- ker said track and fi eld appeals to her as both an individual and team sport that does not require a fi xed number of students to Alice compete, a big deal at a school Hunsaker that can number fewer than 150 students in kindergarten through 12th grade . This year, 54 students attend high school. Capital projects Hunsaker said the school district had already agreed last year to renovate the track , but was delayed in construction by wet weather. Announcing the imminent acquisition of his shipwright company by WCT Marine & Construction Inc., J&H Boatworks co-owner Tim Hill pleaded with the Port of Astoria Commission during a Tuesday workshop for direction regarding North Tongue Point. J&H, owned by Hill and his wife, Debi, has rented part of a former seaplane hangar at North Tongue Point since 2010, one of the Port’s fi rst tenants after the agency leased the industrial dock space from Montana-based Washington Development Co. Three years ago, J&H was joined in the same Tim Hill hangar by fellow marine contractor WCT Marine, owned by Willie and Carol Toristoja. Hill and Willie Toristoja estimate their companies together employ between 23 and 28 people. The Port Commission established a goal of acquiring Tongue Point. But the Port’s lease runs out in 2019, and the cash-strapped agency has no plan to fi nance the property’s acquisition. Jim Knight, the Port’s executive director, has said it’s hard to make commit- ments at Tongue Point without having a defi - nite plan for the property. Hill said the companies need to know whether the Port is going to acquire the land, renew the lease or let it go. “WCT needs to have a plan from the Port of Astoria,” he said. “If it’s not to renew the lease, if it’s not to purchase, we need to know that as soon as possible.” See BOATWORKS, Page 4A Suspicious threats rattle area schools Astoria Police have tracked incidents By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian See JEWELL, Page 4A $705,000 the amount of money that will be spent to reno- vate Jewell School’s track and field this summer. 54 the number of students who attended high school this year at Jewell School. Of those, 18 participated in track. Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian In honor of the school mascot Bluejays, Jewell School District will resur- face its track blue as part of a $700,000 renovation. $22.5M the overall budget that the Jewell School Board will vote on later this month to adopt. Several suspicious threats at Astoria schools have police and school administra- tors scratching their heads. Twice this week, at John Jacob Astor Elementary and Astoria High, police have been called in response to potential threats . Classes resumed as normal following brief safety precautions . A man left dozens of pages of odd , dis- turbing writing Monday morning at the high school. He was located at a residence shortly after and found to have mental health issues. Police trespassed him, meaning he will be arrested if he enters the campus again. The elementary school received a brief but alarming call Tuesday morning. The caller said something bad was going to hap- pen at the school, but no specifi c threats were made. See THREATS, Page 7A City Council sides with Cannon Beach Academy Council votes to negotiate lease at center By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — When the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to begin lease negotiations with Cannon Beach Academy, a feeling of elation and relief enveloped the council chambers. “We did it,” said Amy Moore, the newly hired exec- utive director of the charter school , fi ghting back tears. “It’s MORE INSIDE Cannon Beach OKs excise tax for affordable housing. Page 3A a small battle that we won, but it’s progress. We’re doing this for future generations, for the kids in this town.” The council’s vote con- fi rmed the academy can move forward in negotiating a lease for the city-owned, former Pre- school and Children’s Center at 3781 S. Hemlock, which the city’s strategic plan had desig- nated as a future location for affordable housing . If the council did not agree to the negotiations, the char- ter school would not have been able to open in the fall. While details have yet to be discussed, the plan is to sign a three-year lease, which is the amount of time academy board members expect to outgrow the space . As a way to strike a com- promise, Mayor Sam Steidel — a longtime supporter of the charter school — suggested whatever is agreed upon as rent would go toward funding affordable housing . The academy’s request will still need to go before the Plan- ning Commission later this See ACADEMY, Page 7A Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian Cannon Beach Academy board member Phil Simmons, supporter Lisa Nofield and academy board President Kel- lye Dewey all celebrate after the City Council vote to nego- tiate a lease for the former Children’s Center.
