COAST WEEKEND: ON THE EDGE OF TOTALITY INSIDE
145TH YEAR, NO. 34
ONE DOLLAR
DailyAstorian.com //
A geographic divide
a
A $1.96 million bond measure to finance the expansion of Life
Flight Network and other improvements at the Astoria Regional
Airport failed in May in a 51 percent to 49 percent vote. A look
Vote tally by precinct
Precinct/location
Yes
No
1 Astoria
2 Astoria
3 Astoria
4 Astoria
5 Astoria
6 Astoria
7 Astoria
8 Astoria
20 Cannon Beach
21 Chadwell
22 N. Clatsop
23 S. Clatsop
24 Elsie
25 Gearhart
26 Hamlet
28 Jewell
29 John Day
30 Knappa
31 Lewis & Clark
35 Necanicum
36 Olney
37 Seaside
38 Seaside
39 Seaside
40 Seaside
43 Stanley Acres
44 Svensen
45 Arch Cape
46 Walluski
47 Warrenton
48 Warrenton
50 Westport
52 Hillcrest
Total
123
179
206
112
228
135
184
103
173
103
131
210
20
179
32
33
55
167
166
32
74
145
116
133
159
26
76
34
101
356
119
48
69
4,027
104
163
159
109
174
80
151
83
184
108
128
232
26
192
29
72
98
218
177
55
105
179
132
153
152
37
121
39
68
343
127
65
110
4,173
at the voter breakdown by precinct shows that most of the
support for the measure was in Astoria. The voting pattern
could be instructive for future bond measures.
PACIFIC
Chinook
101
Rive
m bia
2
Hammond
3
47
48
Warrenton
1
Voted yes
h.
Was e.
Or
401
Col u
Precinct results
WAHKIAKUM
Voted no
r
29
5 6 7
Astoria
4
8
Knappa
30
46
409
30
50
31
22
Pacific
O cea n
Westport
52
202
101
23
21
Gearhart
39
25
38
Seaside
43
36
40
CLATSOP
37
28
202
35
Jewell
101
26
20
103
Cannon Beach
26
Tolovana Park
For the fi rst time this year, a
portion of the Oregon C oast is
open for razor clamming.
As of Friday , the beaches from
Tillamook Head, south of Seaside,
to Cascade Head, north of Lincoln
B each, have been open to diggers.
This stretch of coastline includes
Indian Beach in Ecola State Park
and Cannon Beach.
High levels of the marine toxin
domoic acid in clam meat kept
digs closed until now, but three
rounds of testing this summer
revealed those levels had dropped
below the threshold established by
the Oregon Department of Agri-
culture. Unless toxin levels shoot
back up, the areas open now will
remain open.
See CLAMMING, Page 4A
45
24
26
53
2 miles
TILLAMOOK
Source: Clatsop County Elections Division
Derrick DePledge and Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group
Vote on airport bond could foreshadow
trouble for future area bond measures
By DERRICK DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
V
South County
beaches OK
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
30
44
Portions
of coast
open for
clamming
oters rejected a $1.96 million bond mea-
sure in May that would have helped
fi nance the expansion of Life Flight Net-
work and other improvements at Astoria Regional
Airport.
The bond failed by a slim, 146-vote margin in
a special district election where voter turnout was
a paltry 35 percent. But a closer look inside the
vote tally by precinct showed a pattern that could
foreshadow trouble for future bond measures, like
money for a county jail.
Precincts in Astoria favored the airport bond,
while Warrenton was divided. The rest of Clatsop
County, outside pockets of Seaside, North Clat-
sop, Hamlet and Walluski, went against the bond.
The geographic divide could be important if
the county seeks a bond to turn the North Coast
Youth Correctional Facility in Warrenton into a
larger county jail. County commissioners have
ordered a study into whether the youth facility,
which is closing because of state budget cuts,
could be an alternative to the overcrowded 60-bed
jail in Astoria.
The rejection of the airport bond by voters out-
side of Astoria suggests advocates for relocating
the county jail would have to make a strong argu-
ment that a jail would benefi t the entire county.
“People are concerned about the amount of
taxes that they pay on their property. And I think
that all bond measures, regardless of the bene-
fi t — for the most part — people are going to be
skeptical,” said Jim Knight, the executive direc-
tor of the Port of Astoria, which backed the air-
port bond.
Trapped by infi ghting
Former Astoria Mayor Willis Van Dusen and
See DIVIDE, Page 4A
Hunsinger
slams Port
over deal at
Tongue Point
Calls agreement
‘crony capitalism’
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Life Flight Network wanted financial
help for a new hangar, while the other in-
frastructure improvements at the south
end of the airport could have enabled
future development at the regional hub.
‘PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TAXES
THAT THEY PAY ON THEIR PROPERTY. AND I THINK THAT ALL
BOND MEASURES, REGARDLESS OF THE BENEFIT — FOR THE
MOST PART — PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SKEPTICAL.’
Jim Knight | the executive director of the Port of Astoria
Port of Astoria Commissioner
Bill Hunsinger is drumming up
opposition to the Port’s exit from
North Tongue Point.
The Port Commission voted
earlier this month to send a let-
ter to North Tongue Point owner
Washington Development Co.
seeking to pre-
maturely
end
its lease, which
runs
through
2019, and allow
Hyak
Mari-
time to negoti-
ate a purchase
Bill
of the property
Hunsinger
to use as a ship-
yard. Hunsinger
abstained, while Commission
President Frank Spence and com-
missioners James Campbell and
Dirk Rohne voted to send the
letter.
“This private closed-door
agreement to give all of the public
investment and control of Tongue
Point to private corporate interests
See PORT, Page 9A
Battle tested, career ready
Veterans often
successful in
job market
By JACK HEFFERNAN
The Daily Astorian
Clatsop County’s low unem-
ployment rate may be making
life easier for job-hungry mili-
tary veterans, who account for
a relatively large percentage of
the local population.
The county is home to 3,800
veterans, or about 10 percent of
the population. Roughly 7 per-
cent of all U.S. citizens, by
comparison, are veterans.
From 2011 to 2015, the
unemployment rate among
veterans in the Clatsop C ounty
was 6.4 percent, according to
the U.S. Census Bureau. Over-
all unemployment in the c ounty
was 7.1 percent. While up-to-
date data about veteran jobless-
ness is incomplete, the entire
county recorded a much lower
unemployment rate — 3.6
percent — this June, accord-
ing to the Oregon Employ-
ment Department. If a simi-
lar trend held for veterans, it
would mean a little more than
100 total veterans are seeking
work.
Economists defi ne an
unemployed person as some-
one actively looking for work
but who is unable to fi nd it.
Underemployment, however,
is not as easy to quantify, said
Patrick Preston, a disabled vet-
erans employment represen-
tative for the Employment
Department who served in the
U.S. Army.
Unemployment statistics do
not address the number of vet-
erans who may not be seek-
ing work or those who are
employed solely on a seasonal
basis. Therefore, even home-
less veterans in some cases
do not meet the criteria for
unemployment.
See VETERANS, Page 4A
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Col. Dean Perez, left, was on hand at the veterans career
fair in Astoria on Tuesday as a featured speaker. The event,
sponsored by the Lower Columbia Human Resources
Management Association, was designed to help connect
veterans and area employers.