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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2017)
PRIZE-WINNING DRAMA ‘DOUBT’ OPENS IN NEHALEM COAST WEEKEND • INSIDE DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2017 145TH YEAR, NO. 9 ONE DOLLAR SEAMAN’S DAY At Fort Clatsop, the big dogs get their day Annual event honors famous Newfoundland A Newfoundland waits patiently for a group to gather for a presentation during the Seaman’s Day event at the Lewis and Clark Historical Park on Wednesday. By KAELIA NEAL The Daily Astorian People who are afraid of dogs might be intimidated by Newfoundlands. But owners of these giant beasts describe them as perfect for people being introduced to dogs for the fi rst time. Evan Anderson joined his aunt, Joan Crich- Colin Murphey The Daily Astorian ton, and her 166-pound Newfoundland , Bro- gan, Wednesday at the 24th annual Seaman’s Day at Fort Clatsop , where he described his apprehension with dogs. Anderson, however, has developed a strong bond with 5-year-old Brogan. Now he is thinking about getting a Newfoundland himself. “I wouldn’t consider getting a differ- ent big dog,” he said. This was Crichton’s third year attending Seaman’s Day, an event by Lewis and Clark OREGON FISHERMEN ADDRESS WHALE ENTANGLEMENT AS A LAWSUIT LOOMS UNTANGLED See SEAMAN’S DAY, Page 7A Small road, big payoff Spur important to the county’s stalled business park By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian AP Photo/Grahame Long Divers work at cutting a 43-foot humpback whale free from nets off Yamba, 370 miles north of Sydney, Australia, in 2002. By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian See ROAD, Page 7A O regon’s commercial fi shing industry is try- ing to get ahead of a problem that could put California in the middle of a lawsuit and has the potential to drastically change Dungeness crab fi sheries on the West Coast. Last year, 71 whales tangled with U.S. fi sh- ing gear off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington state, as well as neighboring countries — the highest annual total for the West Coast since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- tration began keeping such records in 1982. Sixty-six of these incidents happened in Cali- fornia, many of them involving endangered hump- back whales tangled in commercial crab gear. At the end of June, the Center for Biological Diversity announced its intent to sue the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the fi shery, for “causing the take of threatened and endangered whales and sea turtles.” See UNTANGLED, Page 7A Clatsop County plans to build a new road that will connect two larger streets at the future site of the North Coast Business Park. The 650-foot-long, three-lane road is part of the master plan for the Warrenton develop- ment. It will connect north to south from S.E. Ensign Lane to S.E. 19th Street. The south end of the road will be situated between the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Offi ce and the Ani- mal Shelter. Adjacent to the site of a 10 -acre prop- erty owned by Fort George Brewery, the road is a necessary piece of the development plan, Clatsop County Public Works Direc- tor Michael Summers said. In 2015, the 162- acre lot across from Costco was designated a r egionally s ignifi cant i ndustrial a rea and part of a new e nterprise z one, but logistical issues have stalled development. Plans for a future extension of the road north of Ensign Lane will run on another currently unoccupied plot of land. “It will provide them the avenue to develop,” Summers said of Fort George’s proximity to the road. “It will also open up another parcel of land to the county to sell and develop it as well.” County c ommissioners voted Wednesday to approve a $68,085 contract with KPFF Consulting Engineers to design the road. KPFF was the site civil engineer for the new AP Photo/Christine Armario Capt. David Anderson of Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari in Dana Point, Calif., shows a net a whale was found entangled in. Fishermen on the West Coast are working on strategies to reduce the chances that whales will get caught in fishing gear. Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian A new road may help spur development at the North Coast Business Park. Go-kart, moped complex awaits new fate Long Beach worried about mess, misuse By NATALIE ST. JOHN EO Media Group LONG BEACH, Wash. — Before the April drug raid, Tony Merrill’s down- town entertainment complex had two sets of customers. In good weather, tourists lined up to ride mopeds and go-k arts. The other customers visited in any kind of weather, but rarely stayed for more than a few minutes. Now, there are no custom- ers of any kind. B ut that could change soon. Long Beach Mayor Jerry Phillips says a member of the Merrill family wants to reopen the businesses. However, the new operator will have to fi x long-running safety issues and code viola- tions fi rst . Nearby residents and busi- ness owners knew there was something fi shy about Mer- rill’s go-k art, moped rental and bumper car businesses, which occupy a city block at the corner of Sid Snyder Bou- levard and Pacifi c. It was hard to miss the steady stream of rough-looking characters who trekked up and down Califor- nia Street to the moped shop, sometimes more than once a day. Police knew, too, but it took longer than they would have liked to fi nd an informant willing to try and purchase methamphetamine and heroin from Merrill and his former girlfriend, Doreen Morris. Raids In April , investiga- tors fi nally had enough evi- dence to search Merrill’s busi- nesses and home. The raid allegedly turned up cash, meth, heroin, pills and a stolen EO Media Group See COMPLEX, Page 7A Long Beach, Washington, Police Officer Rodney Nawn searches a storage room at Long Beach Go Karts.
