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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2017)
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017 145TH YEAR, NO. 17 Mushen to resign from Port ONE DOLLAR GIVING BACK VOLUNTEER CREW HELPS CLEAN UP CEMETERY MESS Commissioner cites health reasons for exit By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Robert Mushen, who led the Port of Asto- ria Commission through a tumultuous period of infighting, said he will resign as commis- sioner for health reasons. Mushen, 73, was appointed to the Port Commission in 2014 to replace Commis- sioner Jack Bland and ran unopposed for election in 2015. A Cannon Beach resident, he has often served as an emissary between the Port and South County. He will announce his resignation during today’s Port Commission meet- ing. The commission will appoint a replacement to fill out the remaining two years of Mushen term. In April, Mushen suf- fered a blood pressure Robert spike during a heated dis- Mushen cussion among commis- sioners and Port Attorney Eileen Eakins. He briefly lost the ability to speak coherently during a vote, after which the meeting was canceled and he was taken by paramedics to Columbia Memorial Hospital. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Andrew Schwarzman, right, and Johan Ruiz, left, with the U.S. Coast Guard took time Monday morning to volunteer with about 20 of their colleagues to help tend to Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton. By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian See MUSHEN, Page 4A W Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian ARRENTON — Following numerous complaints from the community and criticism from the Warrenton City Commission about the “shameful” condition of its grounds, the sprawling Ocean View Cemetery is getting some much-needed love. Crew members from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alert worked most of the day, chopping down weeds between grave markers, removing trash and debris and cleaning up around markers and headstones at the cemetery Monday. They wanted to give back to the com- munity, they said. “It definitely gets us moving forward,” said Astoria Parks Maintenance Super- visor Jonah Dart-McLean. “You can’t really substitute the labor of 20 odd peo- ple with what we’ve got currently.” Ocean View is located in Warren- ton but owned and operated by Asto- ria’s Parks and Recreation Department. It is maintained by a two-person part-time crew. This year, the parks department fielded a number of complaints, most recently from the Warrenton city commis- sioners, regarding uncut grass between gravestones and a flourishing population of dandelions, but says funding cuts and staff levels make it difficult to maintain the cemetery to the level expected. “I think that’s where the community really saw the impact this year,” said Astoria Parks Director Angela Cosby. In the last six months, the city of Asto- ria has discussed a variety of ways to bet- ter fund the parks department. Last week, the Astoria City Council conducted the first reading of an ordinance that will increase the lodging tax to 11 percent, generating additional revenue for parks. Though the city will be able to fun- nel money to parks after the ordinance is finalized in a second reading, the tax increase itself will not be implemented until January. A member of the U.S. Coast Guard clears away weeds from a headstone at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton on Monday. See CEMETERY, Page 4A Pearl of Seaside’s owner pulls plug on plans Pending sale prompts end of luxury hotel By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian SEASIDE — Some neighbors may rest a little easier as plans for a luxury hotel on the Prom were scrapped this month. After a year of Planning Commission and City Council review — and a challenge to the state’s Land Use Board of Appeals — an application for a variance for the proposed 45-room Pearl of Seaside at 341 S. Prom was withdrawn because of the pending sale of the property. City councilors took action Mon- day to suspend any further action on the appeal, according to City Planner Kevin Cupples. Owner Antoine Simmons indicated the purchaser was not planning to pursue the proposed development project, so the request for an 8-foot property variance “has effectively been withdrawn from consider- ation at this point,” Cupples said. Two other Simmons properties, Sea- side’s Gilbert Inn and the Inn at the Prom, are included in the sale. “The offer came out of left field and was too good to pass up,” Simmons said. “I couldn’t say ‘no.’” Personnel with the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alert volunteer on Monday to help clear weeds and perform other maintenance at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton. See SEASIDE, Page 4A ‘KEEPING IT LOCAL’ For Krist Novoselic, music remains a hard habit to break By CAROLYN LAMBERSON Spokesman-Review HAVE A LISTEN Giants in the Trees When: 8 p.m. Aug. 12 Megan Blackburn/Spokesman-Review Ray Prestegard, Krist Novoselic, Jillian Raye and Erik Friend are Giants in the Trees. The band played two shows in eastern Washington last weekend — on Friday at the Big Dipper in Spokane and on Saturday at Republic Brew- ing Co. in Republic. SPOKANE, Wash. — Krist Novoselic knows that the majority of people who came to the Big Dipper last Friday night, or to Republic Brewing on Saturday, will be there to see him. They will know little to nothing about the band he’ll be playing with, Giants in the Trees. The simple fact is that Where: Fort George Brewery and Public House, 1483 Duane St. Info: fortgeorgebrewery.com for fans of Novoselic’s previ- ous band, the landmark ’90s grunge trio Nirvana, the chance to see him in an intimate setting like the Dipper or rural Repub- lic will be impossible to ignore. Novoselic, 52, is OK with this. Because as Giants in the Trees is finding out, curios- ity may bring the crowds in, the music makes them stick around. “It seems like people are into it,” Novoselic said in a recent phone interview from his home in Wahkiakum County, in the southwestern corner of Wash- ington. “We get good applause. I appreciate that people stick See NOVOSELIC, Page 9A
