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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2017)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2017 Gelser: Voiced issue on behalf of other women Continued from Page 1A Weinstein donated $5,000 to the Democratic Party of Oregon during the 1995-1996 election cycle, a decade before Gelser was elected to the Legislature. Gelser, a Democrat from the university town of Corvallis, shot back on Twitter, denying receiving any Weinstein money and asking if Lockwood would ensure that no Senate Republi- can “inappropriately touches or gropes” female lawmakers and staffers. In an interview Monday with The Oregonian, Gelser identifi ed Republican Sen. Jeff Kruse as the colleague she had previously complained about. She alleged that inappropri- ate touching had occurred for years. The newspaper also quoted Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick as saying she saw Kruse wrap his arms around Gelser at her desk on the Sen- ate fl oor and step inappro- priately close to her during a debate. “I said, ‘Get your hands off Sen. Gelser,’” Burdick recalled telling Kruse. Kruse, whose committee assignments were removed Friday by Senate President Peter Courtney as punishment, says he hasn’t been informed what he’s accused of. He ear- lier denied any inappropriate behavior. “Because I am being denied access to any of the specifi cs of the allegations and actually I am being denied due process in this whole thing there is very little I can say because I don’t know what the allegations are,” Kruse, who represents Rose- burg, said in an email to The Associated Press. Kruse served Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Clatsop County’s pilot needle exchange program is meant to deter the spread of disease. Needles: All of the exchanges so far have taken place in Astoria Continued from Page 1A we do. We have an epidemic on our hands, and Clatsop County is not immune from that.” The county will bring additional needles to its next event due to the surpris- ing uptick of interest. “We weren’t expecting such a jump from one to another,” McNickle said. “We weren’t quite sure what we were up against.” Offi cials noted after the fi rst exchange that it would take time to establish trust with drug users. So far, six so-called “messengers” have been collecting all the nee- dles in buckets and taking them to the exchange sites on behalf of drug users. Since the fi rst event, the county switched locations along the Astoria riverfront and has now settled on the 32nd Street spot. All of the exchanges so far have taken place in Astoria. Events at Knappa Fire District Station have not resulted in any returns. The health department will also explore potential exchange locations in Seaside. Infor- mation about the weekly exchange events — held Thursdays — can be found on the county health depart- ment’s Facebook page. County commission- ers unanimously approved the program, funded by a $50,000 donation from the Friends of Columbia Com- munity Health, in August. If deemed successful, the county may look into adopting a permanent program. “The problem with addic- tion is so profound and trou- bling,” County Commis- sioner Kathleen Sullivan said. “Anything we can do to fi x it would be great. What they’re trying to do — build- ing trust — is not an easy thing, and I applaud them for doing it.” ‘I have a responsibility to the many, many young women that work in the building, and older women too, as staffers and as lobbyists who are encountering these problems on a regular basis.’ State Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis on the health care, education and judiciary committees. Asked if Kruse had not been given the opportunity to respond to the allegations, Courtney’s spokesman said the senator knew his behavior needed to change. “There are on-going work- place issues which Senator Kruse has failed to resolve. As a result, the Senate presi- dent took the action Friday to remove Senator Kruse from his committees,” spokesman Robin Maxey said in an email. Gelser said she was voic- ing the harassment issue on behalf of other women, and she doesn’t want attention on her own situation. “I think as an elected leader in the Legislature, I have a responsibility to the many, many young women that work in the building, and older women too, as staffers and as lobbyists who are encounter- ing these problems on a regular basis,” she said. Maxey also said the door to Kruse’s offi ce in the Cap- itol would be removed this week, because he has contin- ued smoking in there despite a smoking ban in the building. Oregon is not alone in see- ing sexual harassment accusa- tions emerge recently. • The California Senate announced Monday that it has hired a law fi rm to investigate sexual harassment after numer- ous women working in and around the Capitol described a culture of sexual intimidation. No male lawmakers have been accused by name. But female lobbyists, lawmakers and leg- islative staffers have described accounts of men making inap- propriate comments, touching them and asking them to per- form sex acts. • In Arizona, a legisla- tor has joined a growing cho- rus of women going public about sexual harassment they encountered from men in the workplace. Republican Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita of Scott- sdale said she encountered harassment soon after taking offi ce in early 2011, including “unwanted sexual advances and lewd and suggestive com- ments regarding my body and appearance from male colleagues.” PUBLIC NOTICE The CMH General Surgery Clinic Has Moved The CMH General Surgery Clinic and wound care services has moved to a new location. The new location will give us more space and allow us to serve you better: Professional Office Bldg #1 2055 Exchange Street, Ste 270 Astoria, OR 97103 Phone: 503-338-4670 Fax: 503-338-4671 OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER A Celebration of Life For Steve and Kelly Gottesman Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! We’re investing in Salem coverage when other news organizations are cutting back. Saturday, October 28 th 2 pm to 8-ish... Astoria Yacht Club - West End Mooring Basin (Upstairs above Tiki Charters) 300 Industry Lane, Suite 201 Astoria To reach the new location, park on the west side of Columbia Memorial Hospital and enter through the main doors. Make a quick right and follow the hallway to Professional Office Building #1. Use the stairs or elevator on your left to reach the second floor and Suite 270. OregonCapitalInsider.com GEARHART VOTERS BEWARE: KNOW THE TRUTH Don’t let out-of-state big money and self-serving corporate interests buy Gearhart’s election. Does the current ordinance prohibit families or guests from staying at properties for free? No. The short-term nightly rental ordinance applies only to the act of “renting.” The very definition of a “rental” is money has to change hands. Regular residential uses are allowed under current laws. Would unlimited nightly rentals help our economy? No. Our current laws provide a balance of vacation rentals and our full-time residents who spend money all year-round. This creates a sustainable economy. Does Measure 4-188 have any enforceable regulations protecting residents? No. All current regulations regarding the number of permits, septic, safety or even parking are eliminated. Period. There will be NO mechanism for ANY regulation enforcement if the measure passes. Will the number of short-term nightly vacation rentals ever go to zero? No. There will always be short-term, nightly rentals available in Gearhart. There are around 200 units potentially available now and always in an R-3 zone. Currently, the city can review or change the number of rental permits through its normal legislative process. E GEAR S AV Short-term rental permits can also be HA passed down through inheritance. Do our current laws go too far in their protection of our citizens’ rights? No. Our laws regulating nightly rentals have a reasonable cap protecting residents from any negative impacts. Our occupancy A limits, septic, safety and parking I RH NT AR regulations are similar to other cities E T RESID like Seaside, Cannon Beach or Manzanita. GE VOTE NO! VOTE NOW! Paid for by: Keep Gearhart Residential www.keepgearhartresidential.com L P ON 4 -188 A NO T VOTE KEE Do Gearhart’s current laws make it harder to sell your home? No. Our city Ordinance 901 protects property values through zoning laws. Home sales are soaring right now, due to new full-time residents moving in because of our nightly vacation rental ordinance. Do current laws prevent homeowners from renting their property? No. Any property owner can rent their entire home, just a room, or only a level for 30 days or more, without a permit. Does Measure 4-188 have any fire or life safety provisions that protect families? No. ALL fire, safety and building code inspections are required to be done by our city building inspector. Measure 4-188 removes this requirement and allows any “licensed home inspector” to inspect homes. These home inspectors CANNOT LEGALLY INSPECT for fire and life safety per state law. They are not allowed or required to report that a home might not have fire escapes, bedrooms with no windows, or any safety hazards. R Does Measure 4-188 have ANY cap on the number of short-term nightly vacation rentals? No. Measure 4-188 would allow UNLIMITED NIGHTLY VACATION RENTALS in ALL our neighborhoods. The ability of the city to review or revise the number of rental permits or regulations is removed, completely.
