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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2017)
COAST WEEKEND: FESTIVALS GALORE LIVEN UP THE COAST DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 144TH YEAR, NO. 250 ONE DOLLAR New set of apartments planned for South Slope Developer pitches a 32-unit complex By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Jimmy Huddleston, with the Seaside Fire Department, works to maintain equipment at the Fire Station. The department was recently awarded a grant that will update some components of their self-contained-breathing-apparatus gear. Seaside firefighters get some ‘breathing room’ five years for fire equipment and personnel, including self-con- tained breathing apparatus, a new ladder truck and funding for the department’s training and safety officer. The federal grant, meanwhile, was approved only days after the By R.J. MARX election. The Daily Astorian Within the last five years, Dan- EASIDE — For the Seaside iels said he has noticed major Fire Department, the third issues with the current apparatus. “We’re always fixing them,” Dan- time’s a charm. Chief Joey Daniels and Seaside iels said. “If you went out there Fire and Rescue were awarded right now, there are six hanging out $151,600 to buy self-contained there on the wall, out of service.” Tanks must be tested every five breathing apparatus essential for indoor firefighting. “These are years, with a 15-year life before they must be lifesaving pieces of thrown away. All equipment,” Dan- ‘These are 32 tanks owned iels said. the department Seaside will lifesaving by are up for disposal match a little year. “You’re more than $7,000 pieces of next not going interior of U.S. Depart- them,” ment of Homeland equipment.’ without Daniels said. Security funds, for “That’s our air.” a federal share just Chief Joey While levy above $144,000. Daniels funds are not avail- Daniels said Seaside Fire Department able until Novem- he’d sought the ber 2018, the grant, funds each of the last three years, as aging, unusable available immediately, gives the or obsolete equipment limited the fire department a head start. One package includes back-as- number of air packs available for the 35-member Seaside volunteer sembly, high-pressure cylin- der and a face mask and sells for staff. The fire department asked vot- about $6,500 to $7,200 each. The ers for a levy to help meet crit- Department of Homeland Security ical safety needs, including the grants a slightly lower cost allow- ance, capping their participation at apparatus. $6,200 per unit. Seaside will make up the difference through the Thumbs-up In May, Seaside voters over- department’s budget, Daniels said. whelming endorsed Local Option 4-186, approving $2 million over See SEASIDE FIRE, Page 7A Grant, levy to boost breathing apparatus gear The owner of the Fisher Brothers Build- ing in downtown Astoria plans to build a 32-unit apartment complex on property near the Old Youngs Bay Bridge. The city building department recently approved devel- oper Joe Barnes’ per- mit application for an apartment complex consisting of three separate three-story buildings. The com- plex would be built on property near the old Yacht Club offices, the location of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, according to city staff. Barnes estimates the project will cost $1.8 million, according to the application he submitted to the city. But city staff believe it could be more expensive. They estimate the cost at $4.5 million. Barnes, whose company, West D Lake LLC, has an Otis, address, could not be reached for comment. His application must still obtain approval from the city’s public works, planning and fire departments before he and his contractors can proceed. See APARTMENTS, Page 7A Sturgeon fishermen strike quota S Saturday fishing called off after good haul Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Seaside firefighter Jimmy Huddleston demonstrates how the group’s self-contained-breathing-apparatus equip- ment works in conjunction with other safety gear. By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Sturgeon fishing is canceled for Saturday after Oregon and Washington state reported higher-than-expected numbers of fish caught and thousands of people fishing, state fishery managers announced Wednesday evening. Total catch, after factoring in Wednes- day’s landings, will likely be right at or slightly over the quota of 3,000 sturgeon set by the states, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. It was a number fishery managers expected fishermen to inch toward over the six days of fishing scheduled from June 5 to Saturday. Instead, fishermen landed an estimated 400 sturgeon on the first day, about 100 fish more than expected. Over the next four days that the fishery was open, the river — and fish cleaning stations — stayed busy. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian The Seaside Fire Department consists mainly of a volunteers. See QUOTA, Page 7A Scandinavian monument in Astoria still on hold City seeks maintenance help from advocates By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Plans to build a monument at an underused downtown park to honor Astoria’s Scan- dinavian history will not go forward this year. The city’s Parks and Recre- ation Department has already had to cut programs, and is looking for ways to sus- tain itself into the future. The department cannot take on another maintenance responsi- bility right now, city manage- ment says. Mayor Arline LaMear and City Manager Brett Estes say the group behind the monu- ment, the Astoria Scandina- vian Heritage Association, would need to come up with a way to maintain the monument and surrounding Peoples Park for the long term. The association, mean- while, hasn’t done any further fundraising, waiting for word from the city about whether or not the park would be avail- able to them as a potential site. “We didn’t want to go out and start fundraising until we had some assurance that it would happen,” explained Loran Mathews, who was president of the associa- tion when discussions about a potential monument first began last summer. 50th anniversary The Astoria Scandina- vian Midsummer Festival cel- ebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend. The heritage association had hoped to be able to schedule a monument Submitted Graphic See MONUMENT, Page 7A The city is concerned about maintenance costs at a pro- posed Scandinavian monument at Peoples Park downtown.
