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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2017)
DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017 145TH YEAR, NO. 23 ONE DOLLAR Port poised to leave North Tongue Point Hyak Maritime aims to build a full shipyard By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Jim Knight The Port of Astoria is looking to leave North Tongue Point. The Port Commission voted Tues- day to send a letter asking landowner Washington Development Co. to ter- minate the agency’s remaining lease fronting a channel of the Columbia River and backed by a derelict rail spur owned by Portland & Western Railroad. “Within the last few days, discus- sions really fi nalized to the extent that we’re bringing it to the commis- sion tonight,” Port Executive Direc- tor Jim Knight said. The Port signed a 10-year lease in November 2009 with an option to and allow tug- and barge-builder Hyak Maritime to negotiate the purchase of the former U.S. Navy base. The agency has struggled to turn a profi t on the World War II-era prop- erty, which includes two large sea- plane hangars, about 30 acres of paved land and fi ve fi nger piers buy or extend at the end of the ini- tial term in 2019. Knight said the Port originally had a vision of creating jobs at North Tongue Point but has seen a parade of unsuccessful devel- opment proposals and a small amount of business at the site. Port s taff have said the agency loses about $250,000 annually on the property. MORE INSIDE Port, FEMA far apart on storm damage Page 5A See PORT, Page 7A Deviney admits to rape, sex crimes NEARLY A MILLION COHO, CHINOOK LIKELY UP RIVER Allegedly nabbed California girl in 2015 By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Fishermen were off to an early start Tuesday morning from the Hammond Marina as the Buoy 10 recreational fishery on the Co- lumbia River got under way. Early results from several fishermen returning with their catch indicated a good start to the season. By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian T he Buoy 10 recreational retention fi shery on the Columbia River got off to a strong start Tuesday morning. By 10:30 a.m., fi shermen had only brought back eight fi sh to the Hammond Marina, according to Oregon Fish and Wildlife employees at the docks, but two of those salmon measured 36 inches long and weighed in at well over 20 pounds. Fishermen reported seeing dozens of salmon in the water, especially on the Washington state side near the Astoria Bridge. Humpback whales also foraged nearby, following runs of anchovies. Fishing guide Tom Burgess of Bigulp Guide Service said his fi rst clients of the day caught their limit early. He even got a chance to fi sh, as well. “It’s a robust start,” he said. “I hope it’s a sign of things to come.” The opening days of the Buoy 10 fi sh- ery, which runs from the mouth of the Columbia River to Tongue Point, can start off with a bang, but sometimes slow down before building up toward the mid- dle of the month. Records maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife showed 58 boats on the water on Aug . 1 last year. There were 137 anglers trying for fi sh but only four Chinook kept. By Aug . 13, there were 137 boats on the Columbia River, 399 anglers and 70 Chi- nook kept. Chinook are usually the fi rst salmon to make an appearance in the fi shery, fol- lowed later in the month by coho. “We’re not going to have those huge numbers of fall Chinook we had in the past up until last year,” said Ron Roler, Columbia River fi shery manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. See FISHING, Page 7A ‘IT’S A ROBUST START. I HOPE IT’S A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME.’ Tom Burgess | fi shing guide with Bigulp Guide Service The man accused of kidnapping a Califor- nia girl and leaving her in a car in Astoria in 2015 pleaded guilty Tuesday to fi rst-degree rape and other sex charges. Russell Wayne Deviney, 50, of Everett, Washington, also pleaded guilty to fi rst-de- gree unlawful sexual penetration, fi rst-degree sodomy and using a child in a display of sex- ually explicit conduct after reaching an agree- ment with the Clatsop County District Attor- ney’s Offi ce. The plea agreement includes a presumed sentence ranging from more than eight years to more than 33 years in prison. Clatsop County Circuit Court Judge Russell Wayne Dawn McIntosh is Deviney scheduled to sentence Deviney next week. Deviney allegedly nabbed the 15-year- old girl in Sanger, California, in May 2015. The girl allegedly left her house in the mid- dle of the night and entered a 2004 Nissan pickup driven by Deviney, who had posed as an 18-year-old man named James Russell and communicated with her on Instagram. He then allegedly drove the girl north without letting her leave the car. Along the way, he raped her at a rest stop somewhere in Oregon and took pictures of her perform- ing sex acts. After being contacted by police, Deviney parked the truck at McDonald’s in Astoria and fl ed. Police located him south of Cannon Beach a couple of days later. When Deviney subtly, but repeatedly, shook his head and rolled his eyes Tuesday afternoon before pleading guilty to the four charges, it marked the end of a more than two- year legal battle. Deviney originally was also charged with fi rst-degree kidnapping, three counts of fi rst-degree sexual abuse and sec- ond counts of the four charges for which he pleaded guilty. Requests for text messages on Deviney’s phone and video surveillance from a Walm art in Salem were among the factors that led to numerous motions — and delays — in the case. Federal prosecutors, who were consider- ing charges because of the FBI’s involvement in the investigation, have agreed not to pursue further charges. Weed rule leads to ‘unintended consequences’ Cannon Beach MORE INSIDE Astoria Warming Center votes to keep decision delayed Page 2A pot out of Dollar General under in Astoria mixed facilities scrutiny Page 3A By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — In a 3-2 vote, the City Council on Tuesday affi rmed an ordinance that forbids marijuana retailers from moving into buildings that house both residences and businesses. The issue came up after Matt Ennis, a resident at 140 S. Hemlock, told city council- ors at a July meeting that his landlord planned to evict him to rent the commercial space under him to marijuana retailer Five Zero Trees. Changing the ordinance would have allowed marijuana stores to apply for permits in buildings that also have resi- dences, a setup that is common Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian In a 3-2 vote Tuesday night, the Cannon Beach City Coun- cil decided retailers that sell marijuana cannot occupy buildings that house both businesses and residences. in downtown Cannon Beach. The vote ensures that future applications from marijuana retailers will not be consid- ered at mixed -use locations, which follows the communi- ty’s desire to keep marijuana out of residential areas. The vote also means the landlord will likely evict the three ten- ants living at 140 S. Hemlock St. to comply with the ordi- nance and allow Five Zero Trees to rent the commercial space below. Ennis and the other two tenants were not immediately available for comment . “This was a case of unin- tended consequences,” City C ouncilor Mike Benefi eld said after the meeting. See WEED RULE, Page 5A
