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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2017)
CANNON BEACH PLEIN AIR & MORE ARTS FESTIVAL COAST WEEKEND DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017 144TH YEAR, NO. 255 HOME RUN! GASSER LOOKS BACK AT HIS FINAL, MEMORABLE SEASON ONE DOLLAR Oregon Senate OKs health care provider tax Bill goes to Gov. Brown to help pay for Medicaid By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — The state Senate Wednes- day passed an assessment on health care pro- viders and insurers that is expected to cover a chunk of the state’s expected $1.4 billion budget gap. The bill was previously passed by the House. P assage of the so-called provider tax is a signifi cant milestone as the Legisla- ture closes in on its fi nish date. The tax is expected to raise more than $600 million in revenue from providers over the next two years and draw down nearly $1.9 billion in federal funds to help pay for the state’s Med- icaid program for the poor and disabled. The legislation increases an assessment on certain urban hospitals by 0.7 percent to 6 percent of a hospital’s net revenue; cre- ates a new assessment on rural hospitals; and places a 1.5 percent tax on insurance premiums. The money is intended to cover the costs of the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medic- aid program, and the concept has the support of the state’s hospitals. Most, if not all, of the money collected by the assessment is returned to hospitals in the form of Medicaid payments. Dave Gasser gives wife Vicki a hug, following a milestone win early in his coaching career at Astoria. See TAX, Page 7A The Daily Astorian /File Photo Portland hotelier takes action against Port of Astoria By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian I f the 2017 season were a movie, the Astoria baseball team would have advanced to the fi nal, knocked off Henley for their fi rst title since 2011, and those Band of Brothers — the Fishermen seniors — would fi nally have their state championship. And retiring head coach Dave Gasser (played by Gene Hackman) would be riding off into the sunset with his 751st career victory and his sixth state title. “Ideally, in a perfect world, we would have walked out with a state championship just the way it started (in 2006),” Gasser said. “But those are movie scripts.” Still, the season “was awesome,” he said. In the playoffs, “We had to beat the Player of the Year (Andy Avants) in Estacada’s league; then we had to beat the Player of the Year (Hidden Valley’s Cade Kissel) in the Skyline; then we had to turn around and play the Player of the Year in the Greater Oregon League (La Grande’s G.T. Blackman).” And all three on the road. “There was nothing easy about the route we took. I don’t know how our kids could have done any more.” The Daily Astorian /Submitted Photo See GASSER, Page 7A Dave Gasser and the coach who will replace him next year, Glen Fromwiller, right. Seeks legal victory on delayed transcripts By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian ‘There was nothing easy about the route we took. I don’t know how our kids could have done any more.’ Dave Gasser retired Astoria High School baseball coach Retirement home closing a sign of stress Pacifi c County has dearth of nursing options By AMY NILE EO Media Group LONG BEACH, Wash. — More than a dozen seniors who call Long Beach Retirement their home are looking for a new place to live. The assisted-care home on Wash- ington Avenue is closing its doors for good. The seniors, mostly a 75 and older crowd, are left with few options for long-term care out- side of a long-distance reloca- tion or a move into a relative’s home. Long Beach Retirement owner “There were some tears,” Rowe Bob Rowe, of Tacoma, said he’s said. “It’s hard. struggled for years to keep the fam- Medicaid money ily business afl oat. His grandparents, The home was often the only Bob and Pat Hall, passed it down to one in Long Beach that would take him. Medicaid, the federal health Rowe, 45, was born on insurance program for the his grandfather’s birthday poor and disabled . However, and given his name, so natu- he can’t stretch reimburse- rally, he followed in his foot- ments from the program far steps, too. enough to cover costs. But, he said, he can’t keep “We treaded water as the state-licensed home with long as we could,” Rowe limited resources running. said. He had trouble staffi ng the Robin Robin Dale, CEO for the home and making ends meet Dale Olympia-based nonprofi t for years before making the call to shut down the 25-bed facility. Washington Health Care Association, Now, he and employees are help- said Medicaid pays providers a state- ing the 14 residents fi nd new places See CLOSING, Page 7A to live. Param Hotel Corp. is once again seek- ing victory in a lawsuit against the Port of Astoria over the operation of the Astoria Riverwalk Inn, based on the Port’s delay in releasing executive session transcripts and recordings. The Portland hotel group , which had been attempting since 2014 to take over operation of the Riverwalk Inn from heavily indebted former operator Brad Smithart, fi led suit in November 2015. The lawsuit came after the Port awarded operation of the hotel to Asto- ria Hospitality Ventures, whose owner, Wil- liam Orr, is former Port Commissioner Ste- phen Fulton’s brother-in-law. Param claimed the Port violated a deal it had made with Smithart on the hotel, and had shown bias toward Orr’s group. In April, Clatsop County Circuit Court Judge Dawn McIntosh ordered the Port to pay for additional depositions of its staff by Param. She found the Port had with- held executive session materials related to the hotel, requested by Param in November 2015, for about 13 months. Param’s law- yer, Colin Hunter, sought to win the case based on the omissions, arguing they were prejudicial and had irreversibly affected his case . See PORT, Page 5A The Daily Astorian/File Photo Operation of the Astoria Riverwalk Inn is part of a continuing legal battle between Param Hotel Corp. and the Port of Astoria.