7A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2017
California wildfi res reduce
yearslong dreams to embers
By JONATHAN J.
COOPER and ELLEN
KNICKMEYER
Associated Press
SANTA ROSA, Calif. —
Jose Garnica worked for more
than two decades to build
up his dream home that was
reduced to ashes in a mat-
ter of minutes by the deadly
fi restorm striking Northern
California.
Garnica, who moved to
the U.S. from Mexico over 20
years ago, had fi nally decided
he could afford to upgrade
parts of his Santa Rosa house
after building a stable career
with the local garbage com-
pany and saving nearly every-
thing he and his wife earned.
Over the past two years,
he replaced the siding and
installed a new air condi-
tioner, stainless steel appli-
ances and new fl ooring. He
bought a new 60-inch tele-
vision. On Saturday, the
44-year-old got an estimate to
replace the fence, one of the
last items on his list.
But at 3:30 a.m. Mon-
day, he watched his house
become one of the more than
2,000 homes and businesses
destroyed by the series of
blazes across the region that
had killed at least 17 people.
“You feel helpless,” he
said Tuesday. “There’s noth-
ing you can do. Everything,
your whole life, goes through
your mind in a minute. Every-
thing you had done. I left all
my family behind in Mexico
to get a better life. Finally we
were just coming to the com-
fort level, and this happens.”
Garnica tried to save the
home with a garden hose. He
and a neighbor tried to cut
open the neighbor’s above-
ground pool, hoping the water
would protect their homes. In
15 minutes, the entire neigh-
borhood caught fi re, he said.
“If I knew this was going
to happen, maybe those 45
minutes I spent trying to put
Continued from Page 1A
AP Photo/Ben Margot
Jose Garnica, left, kisses his daughter Leslie Garnica in front of their home that was
destroyed in the Coffey Park area of Santa Rosa, Calif., on Tuesday. An onslaught of wild-
fires across a wide swath of Northern California broke out almost simultaneously then
grew exponentially, swallowing up properties from wineries to trailer parks and tearing
through both tiny rural towns and urban subdivisions.
the fi re down, I should’ve just
grabbed all the belongings,”
Garnica said. “But I didn’t
think it was going to happen.”
Those destructive fl ames
raced across the wine country
of Napa and Sonoma coun-
ties and the coastal beauty
of Mendocino further north,
leaving little more than smol-
dering ashes and eye-stinging
smoke in their wake. Whole
neighborhoods are gone,
with only brick chimneys and
charred laundry machines to
mark sites that were once fam-
ily homes.
“This is just pure devasta-
tion, and it’s going to take us
a while to get out and comb
through all of this,” said Ken
Pimlott, chief of the Califor-
nia Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection. He said
the state had “several days
of fi re weather conditions to
come.”
In some torched neighbor-
hoods, fi re hydrants still had
hoses attached, apparently
abandoned by fi refi ghters who
had to fl ee.
The wildfi res already
rank among the deadliest in
California history, and offi -
cials expected the death toll
to increase as the scope of
destruction becomes clear. At
least 185 people were injured
during the blazes that cropped
up Sunday night. Nearly 200
people were reported missing
in Sonoma County alone.
David Leal, 55, and his
wife and stepson salvaged a
few decorative items from
their Santa Rosa home, includ-
ing a wind chime, tiles from
the backsplash in the kitchen,
a decorative sun and a cross.
“Our plan is to keep those
things, and when we rebuild,
they’ll be mementos of what
we’ve lived through, and of,
just, resilience,” Leal said.
“It’s hard not to get emotional.
In the meantime, Leal got
a post offi ce box so the fam-
ily can get mail, a new laptop
and some clothes. They’re liv-
ing out of their two vehicles
for now.
“We’ll be back home again
sooner than later, and with
our chins held high,” he said,
choking back tears. “And
hopefully we’ll be amongst
our neighbors and friends as
they do the same.”
Leal, a U.S. Navy veteran,
evacuated with his family, two
dogs and cat to nearby Peta-
luma late Sunday after seeing
fi erce, hot winds and fl ames
whipping in the distance.
“We didn’t have time to
think about what to grab. We
grabbed what we saw,” he
said. He got his external hard
drive, which was lying out,
but left his laptop.
Garnica also hung onto
hope, saying he was not back
at square one.
“I came into the States with
nothing. I didn’t have any-
thing,” Garnica said. “I think
I’m better off than how I came
in. At least I got a job. I got a
family. I’m healthy.”
Trial: Battle for control of Astoria hotel
Continued from Page 1A
A majority of the Port Com-
mission was on hand Tuesday
to observe the case. Weston,
now the city manager of King
City in Washington County,
was the fi rst witness called by
Param’s lawyer, Colin Hunter.
A new tenant
As the Port’s property man-
ager and later the director of
business development and
operations, Weston’s job was
to fi nd tenants and negotiate
many of the agency’s leases.
He helped create the lease for
Smithart. By the time Son-
patki came into the picture,
Weston was the interim execu-
tive director, after the resigna-
tion of Hank Bynaker.
With the Port’s lawyers
claiming there was no signed
contract with Param, Hunter
sought to show how, despite
Smithart falling behind on
rent and revenue-sharing and
his original business partner
leaving, the agency did not
evict him, and at times did not
strictly follow the terms of the
lease.
It was Weston who got the
pulse of the Port C ommission
and eventually developed an
agreement that would have
Sonpatki take over the remain-
der of Smithart’s lease, with
a 10-year extension option,
in exchange for paying off
Smithart’s debts and invest-
ing in the run-down hotel. An
agreement was presented to
the c ommission by October
2014, along with a presenta-
tion by Sonpatki, but Weston
said commissioners repeatedly
asked for more information on
the prospective tenant.
Knight started work as the
Port’s executive director later
that month. Weston reverted to
his position as director of busi-
ness development and opera-
tions, and Knight eventually
took over negotiations on the
Riverwalk Inn. By early July
of 2015, the Port had termi-
nated Smithart’s lease.
“I certainly had nothing to
do with the notice of default,”
Weston said, adding his sus-
Seaside: City
councilors relied
on testimony, input
from school district
picion that there might have
been some other issues with
Smithart.
A stalled transfer
Hunter later called to the
stand Sonpatki, who owns and
operates 13 hotels in the Port-
land metro area and Seaside.
By June 2014, Sonpatki
said, he and Smithart had
agreed on $500,000 for him
to take over operation of the
hotel. Smithart would receive
the remainder of the money
after debts he owed to the Port,
city and county were paid.
By January 2015, Sonpatki,
said, he and Smithart were
ready to close the deal, but had
to continually extend the clos-
ing date as the Port did not pro-
vide the required consent doc-
uments. The two eventually
agreed to extend the transfer
to September 2015, allowing
Smithart to earn summer reve-
nue to help pay down some of
his debts.
In June 2015, the Port
Commission voted unani-
mously to have staff execute
the transfer of the remaining
two years of Smithart’s lease,
along with a fi ve-year exten-
sion option, to Sonpatki. By
that point, Smithart owed more
than $300,000 combined to the
Port, city and county.
“I wanted to come to Asto-
ria,” Sonpatki said of the deal,
adding he hoped it would even-
tually lead to a longer lease.
But his acquisition was
never fi nalized. Hunter and
Sonpatki claim Knight repeat-
edly provided incorrect doc-
uments and never explained
why it was taking the Port so
long to fi nalize Param’s acqui-
sition of Smithart’s lease.
The Port terminated Smi-
thart’s contract shortly after
the vote but kept him in the
hotel on a short-term basis, not
wanting to shut down and lose
revenue . After Smithart’s lease
had been terminated, Sonpatki
said, he came with his lawyer
to Astoria to try and get the
lease reinstated and the trans-
fer fi nished, but to no avail.
The Port eventually heard
presentations from several
suitors for the hotel, includ-
ing Sonpatki, and in Septem-
ber 2015 chose Astoria Hospi-
tality Ventures.
The trial recessed Tues-
day with Sonpatki still on the
stand and Hunter still making
his case.
period, John Dunzer, a res-
ident, presented a summary
Both these designations will of an appeal he planned to
be changed to institutional submit to the state Land Use
campus as a result of Mon- Board of Appeals.
In previous meetings,
day’s approval, clearing the
way for the campus, with a Dunzer said the city could
total project budget of almost fi nd alternate sites within the
urban growth boundary that
$113 million.
In making their decision, did not require building a
city councilors relied on tes- new campus.
Mayor Jay Barber and
timony and input from the
school district, the compre- councilors Tita Montero,
hensive plan, and P lanning Dana Phillips and Steve
Wright voted for the rezoning
C ommission decisions.
and comprehensive
Late changes and
plan change. Randy
updates to the ordi-
Frank, Tom Horning
nance
contained
and Seth Morrisey
revised tax lot num-
were absent.
bers and other minor
Architects Dull
changes, consultant
Olson Weekes antici-
Greg Winterowd of
pate the design phase
Winterbrook Plan-
Greg
to reach next June,
ning said.
“What the new Winterowd when construction
could begin. The
ordinance does is
make sure we are talking campus is slated for opening
about the right properties,” in the fall of 2020.
“We’re still in the
Winterowd said.
Planning Director Kevin design-development phase
Cupples delivered revised and that’s a long, complex
fi ndings, along with a process,” Roley said. “The
response sheet directed to City Council has been very
helpful in guiding us through
public concerns.
Findings determine the this process properly.”
Approval is subject to
two ordinances comply with
state planning goals as well the Clatsop County Board
as city and county review of Commissioners and takes
effect upon the board’s
standards.
During a public comment approval.
‘What the new
ordinance does is make
sure we are talking about
the right properties.’
Greg Winterowd
consultant
C onsult a
P rofessional
can I keep the apps
Q: How
on my computer up to
date?
LEO FINZI
Astorias
Best.com
A storiA ’ s best
selection of new And
refurbished computers .
M-F 10-6 Sat . 11-4
77 11th Street, Suite H
Astoria, OR
503-325-2300
our website, AstoriasBest.
A: Visit
com, and click on “Recommended
Software” Scroll down to and click on
“http://glarysoft.com/”. After installing
“Glarysoft Utilities” look at the
bottom row of icons and click on the
blue square with the upward pointing
arrow. Glarysoft Utilities will open a
web page showing programs on your
computer for which there are newer
versions. Click on the downward
pointing green arrow to safely and
securely update the programs on your
computer.
Q: Should I use
heat or cold?
“If you ever
wanted solar,
now is the time!”
in a joint,
A: If use you ice; hurt,especially
it reduces inflammation
-Stan the
Solar Man
ASTORIA
CHIROPRACTIC
Barry Sears, D.C.
SOLAR
SALE!
503-325-3311
2935 Marine Drive
Astoria, Oregon
edges of my
Q: The
front teeth are
Solar prices
have been
cut!
Attention Businesses:
Eliminate your high
electric bills and high
taxes by going solar
ACIFIC
OP & P
CLATS Y’S ONLY
COUNT RVICE
E
FULL-S
R!
ROVIDE
P
R
A
L
SO
FREE
wearing. What
can I do?
JEFFREY M. LEINASSAR
DMD, FAGD
HOME ENERGY AUDIT
3.99% Financing
Low Monthly Payments
CALL 360-642-4272
PRECISION HEATING
& Indoor Air Quality
360-642-4272
www.usa-heating.com
and pain and shortens healing time.
You can get a burn from ice just
like with heat, so don’t leave it on
for more than 20 minutes. Most
problems get better more quickly
with ice. Heat feels good, but may
seriously make problems worse. As
long as there is pain and/or swelling,
continue ice; it can be done as often
as once an hour. Would you heat
a cut? No, because it would keep
bleeding —that is what happens
inside where you can’t see it.
503/325-0310
1414 MARINE DRIVE,
ASTORIA
www.smileastoria.com
A :
This is a common
finding on many
patients. The reasons can be
from misaligned teeth, harmful
habits or excess grinding and
bite forces. The latter is a very
common problem that needs to
be addressed. Orthodontic
correction and nighttime bite
guards are good choices to
help prevent further wear.