NEW YORK TRUCK ATTACK SUSPECT RADICALIZED IN US PAGE 5A
145TH YEAR, NO. 88
ONE DOLLAR
DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017
Thompson
fires back
Writes a letter in
response to behavior,
expense allegations
By JACK HEFFERNAN
The Daily Astorian
Clatsop County Commissioner Lianne
Thompson is resisting a call for her resig-
nation, vowing to be a strong and motivated
voice and declaring: “My heart is in this
place.”
Board Chairman Scott Lee urged Thomp-
son to resign after a meeting last week in
which she was criticized by commission-
ers for claiming thousands
in travel and education
expenses, as well as for a
June incident with a county
employee that led to an
internal investigation.
“I have little interest or
patience with those few
Lianne
people who would find val-
Thompson
idation in power or who
like to see themselves as
big fish in small ponds,” Thompson, who
represents South County, wrote in a letter to
The Daily Astorian.
“No one said it would be easy to serve,”
she said. “No one promised that a closed
system would be open to change, that
entrenched powers would not push back, or
that personal attacks would never supplant
honest debate. Certainly I never expected
such a political panacea. To see it play out in
real life, however, can either be dishearten-
ing or motivating. I choose motivation.”
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Soldiers from Camp Rilea witness a groundbreaking ceremony for a new armed forces monument.
‘A memorial for all of us’
Bronze statue of
Vietnam War soldier
See THOMPSON, Page 5A
By JACK HEFFERNAN
The Daily Astorian
A
large statue of a U.S. soldier will be placed
in downtown Warrenton by the end of the
year, following a decadeslong effort.
At a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, a 9-foot
by 9-foot plot was carved out of a grassy area
across from Lighthouse Park on North Main Ave-
nue. Project leaders plan to put the bronze, 7-foot,
2-inch statue — with a 6-foot-tall base — at the
spot by early December. The statue features a Viet-
nam War soldier dressed in full uniform with rifle
in hand, standing with his right foot perched on a
rock and staring down reflectively as a single tear
rolls down his right cheek.
“It’s a memorial for all of us,” said Todd New-
ton, an Army veteran and member of the Fort Ste-
vens Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Auxiliary.
“We really don’t have anything here in Warrenton.
It’s something we need in the community here.”
While agreeing that the statue honors all vet-
erans, designer and sculptor Mark Kenny, who
served eight years in the Coast Guard, added that
he wanted to especially memorialize those from the
Vietnam War era.
“They’re pretty much forgotten, and they’re not
treated very well. Now they’re accepted,” Kenny
said. “That was an important time in history, too.”
Kenny, 55, of Seaside, started working on his
design after the Warrenton City Commission
approved a $72,020 grant from the state Parks and
Recreation Department in April.
Fundraising began for a monument 27 years
ago, but an economic downturn stalled those ambi-
tions. The local VFW decided to try again by apply-
ing for a biannual grant from the state specifically
allocated for monuments.
Debbie Little, president of VFW 10580 aux-
iliary, completed a grant-writing class with this
application in mind. Her husband, VFW Quar-
termaster Bert Little, also reached out to resi-
dents and businesses for monetary and service
Food bank
aims to meet
holiday need
Despite split, no
interruptions in
service, board says
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
SEASIDE — The South County
Community Food Bank is expected to
reopen Tuesday, less than two weeks
after the former manager and volunteers
were ordered to relinquish their keys and
locked out of the Roosevelt Drive building.
Board President Darren Gooch said
“ideological differences between the board
and key volunteers” guided the decision to
interrupt service.
“We as a board are tasked with being
good stewards of the resources we are
given,” Gooch said. “Future sustainability of
the food pantry is the primary driving force
of the board.”
Former regional manager Karla Gann
blamed the closure on board mismanage-
ment and said it could jeopardize holiday
meals and leave thousands of dollars in
Christmas gifts undelivered.
VFW Fort Stevens Post 10580
Portland artist Mark Kenny stands next to the monument he created.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Heavy equipment is used to break ground for a new military monument.
See MEMORIAL, Page 8A
See FOOD BANK, Page 7A
Crashes peak in fall, but
roadkill dinner can wait
Salvage rules
expected in 2019
By KATIE
FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
Collisions between vehi-
cles and wildlife peak in the
fall, but drivers won’t get to
harvest what they hit until
2019.
Ever since a rule passed
earlier this year allowing driv-
ers to keep roadkill deer and
elk in the future, law enforce-
ment and fish and wildlife
officials say drivers frequently
ask if they can salvage the ani-
mals now when they hit or
encounter them on the state’s
roads.
Doug Cottam, wildlife divi-
sion administrator with the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife, said staff are still
working to develop a safe and
responsible roadkill salvage
program that will discourage
poaching. Draft rules will go
to the Fish and Wildlife Com-
mission for public comment
before they are adopted.
“A key thing is having a
permitting process so roadkill
salvage is tracked and a per-
son can be contacted if some-
thing appears suspicious,” said
Michelle Dennehy, a Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife
spokeswoman. Law enforce-
ment will be a part of the
rule-setting process, as well,
she said, “and will likely have
other suggestions.”
For now, roadkill will be
taken care of the old-fashioned
way.
Damian Mulinix/For EO Media Group
See ROADKILL, Page 7A
A bald eagle vied with traffic on the U.S. Highway 101 near Chi-
nook, Wash., last year after sighting a tasty roadkill possum.