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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 2017)
BLOODYVOX ON FRIDAY THE 13TH COAST WEEKEND • INSIDE 145TH YEAR, NO. 74 ONE DOLLAR DailyAstorian.com // Vacation rental rules on pause County will wait until after Gearhart vote By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian MUSHROOM HUNTERS Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Mike Holland-Moritz, of Portland, searches for wild mushrooms on Wednesday at Fort Stevens State Park near Warrenton. For adventurers, no truffl e at all Discussion among Clatsop County commissioners about a potential vacation rental ordinance boils down to two factors: over-regulation versus the need for safety inspections, and a November ballot measure in Gearhart that would repeal and replace the city’s new short-term rental rules . Commissioners indefi nitely postponed a vote on possible vacation rental regula- tions at a public hearing in September . The ordinance would require property owners to apply for fi ve-year, renewable permits based on safety inspections for an unlimited num- ber of short-term rental properties . Requirements for owners to comply with quiet hours, provide covered garbage con- tainers, possess at least one fi re extinguisher and offer at least one off-street parking spot are some of the mandates included in the ordinance. Only three people per sleep- ing area plus two more would be allowed to occupy a residence. See RENTALS, Page 7A By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Astoria woman charged with sexual advances toward student W hen they heard the whistle, the mushroom hunters were ready. Carolyn Tesar and Mike Hol- land-Moritz whistled a reply and pushed deeper into the woods, following their ears until they reached their companion, Stephen Walsh, and a clump of mush- rooms he’d just discovered. The three Portland residents, all mem- bers of the Oregon Mycological Soci- ety, spent a weekday morning together looking for mushrooms in the woods around Fort Stevens State Park . While Walsh ranged farther ahead, scanning for signs of fungi, the others followed at a more leisurely pace, exploring patches thoroughly before hitting the next bit of promising ground. The promise of edible fungi pulls thousands of people into Oregon’s for- ests in the spring and fall. On the coast, mushroom season typically arrives in full force by October, with cascades of golden chanterelle mushrooms that spike the air with their earthy, apricot scent and king boletes that suddenly dot the forest fl oor. Carla Cole, natural resources project manager at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park near Warrenton, under- stands the appeal and excitement of hunt- ing for edible mushrooms. But, mush- rooms aren’t just about what’s visible above ground, she said. “The Pacifi c Northwest ecosystems have such a huge, rich fungal diversity,” she said. “There’s so much going on underground, in the soil.” Hilltop ‘lunch lady’ allegedly sent photos By NATALIE ST. JOHN EO Media Group Stephen Walsh, of Portland, takes a photo of a wild mushroom he harvested in Fort Stevens State Park on Wednesday. Carolyn Tesar reacts after she found a chanterelle mushroom while hunt- ing for wild fungus in the forests of Fort Ste- vens State Park on Wednesday. ILWACO, Wash. — A former Hilltop Middle School lunch lady is accused of mak- ing sexual advances toward a middle-school boy via cellphone and social media. Brittini R. Ford, 26, of Astoria, is charged with one count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes of a sexual nature, a Class C felony that carries a pen- alty of up to $10,000 and fi ve years in prison, according to police and court documents. Long Beach police opened an investiga- tion in early April after staff and students alleged that Ford had acted inappropriately with students — in particular, with a boy who was 13 at the time. The investigation took several weeks. Meanwhile, Ford was terminated in the spring, when an independent Ocean Beach School District investigation found that she repeatedly showed questionable judgment in her interactions with students and violated several district policies. See MUSHROOMS, Page 7A See FORD, Page 5A Manzanita refl ects one year after tornado Residents calm after the storm By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian MANZANITA — A year has passed since a tor- nado ripped through Manza- nita, damaging more than 140 homes and businesses and top- pling dozens of trees in the beach town. But walking the streets now, all that remains visible from that stormy day is one shuttered building on Laneda Avenue and an overwhelming sense of calm . “Everyone’s back to busi- ness as usual,” said Jerald Tay- lor, the city manager . “With the number of calls we’ve been getting about (the tor- nado), you’d think we would be holding a tornado festival or something.” The 135 mph gusts that ravaged the small commu- nity on Oct. 14, 2016 are rare on the North Coast . While the town feels generally prepared to handle another storm , the dread of having to do so still sits in the back of some peo- ple’s minds . “When we had a few water spouts, it brought back a few memories. Some folks are still a little nervous because we know it can happen,” Taylor said. “When we were hit by a very unusual event like this, the biggest thing we lost was the feeling of, ‘I t can’t happen here.’” Many in the commu- nity feel grateful. There were no fatalities, and due to emergency planning , power was restored to most of the town within two days . While several homeowners are still rebuilding, the community came together quickly and effi ciently to clear debris . Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian See TORNADO, Page 8A The only building left with tornado damage on Laneda Avenue .
