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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 2017)
CAFE SKETCHING WEEKEND BREAK • 1C 145TH YEAR, NO. 125 LETTERS TO SANTA INSIDE ONE DOLLAR WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2017 County ranks high in juvenile justice referrals Rate significantly higher than state average By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian Clatsop County has among the highest rates of juvenile justice referrals in Ore- gon, a mark of misbehavior that experts link to problems with education and drug and alcohol abuse. Juvenile referrals involve crime and lesser offenses like alcohol and marijuana possession. Last year, Clatsop ranked 34th out of 36 counties in a report prepared by Children First for Oregon using Ore- gon Youth Authority data. The trend line shows the county’s referral rate was sig- nificantly higher than the state average in each of the past five years. Children First for Oregon, an advocacy group, issues county data books that track See COUNTY, Page 7A Juvenile referrals (Rate per 1,000 youth, ages 0-17.) 32.7 Clatsop Co. Oregon 30.4 29.7 25.8 24.7 20.6 17.5 2012 ’13 Source: Children First for Oregon ‘YOU MAY BE ON YOUR OWN, AND CHAOS WILL REIGN’ 15.8 ’14 14.7 ’15 13.6 2016 Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group Crab season to open in January Commercial fishermen have been waiting By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Deputies train how to respond to an active shooter. Clatsop law enforcement prepares for the worst at Knappa schools By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian NAPPA — Gunshots and screams rang out as three deputies from the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office made their way down a hallway at Hilda Lahti Elementary School past fleeing stu- dents and staff. The officers held a tight formation, guns at the ready, and ordered the vic- tims toward exits as they approached the sounds of gunfire coming from a classroom. With Knappa School District out for winter break, the sheriff’s office took over campus Monday and Tuesday, training law enforcement from through- out the county and the Coast Guard how K Officers used a variety of firearms during the active-shooter training. to respond to mass shootings. Simula- tions are the closest police agencies can get to prepare for shootings that play out with troubling frequency in the United States. “It’s our commitment to being as pre- pared as possible for a variety of law enforcement situations that can arise,” said Lt. Matt Phillips, who helped over- see the training. “And also, as the larg- est law enforcement agency in the county, we have additional resources and person- nel that some of the smaller agencies don’t have, so we think it’s important to open our trainings.” The simulations included most patrol divisions, along with jail and courthouse staff at risk of ambush when they transfer inmates. Also taking part were members of Coast Guard maritime enforcement teams who board vessels and provide security on base. Commercial crabbers will get to harvest in mid-January off most of the Oregon Coast and into Washington state. The Dungeness crab fishery from Cape Blanco to the Columbia River and into Wash- ington state will open Jan. 15, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday. Though the fishery is typically scheduled to open Dec. 1, it was delayed due to low meat yield. A tri-state agreement along the west coast to manage Dungeness crab fisheries only allows the season to be delayed because of low meat yield until Jan. 15. “We’ve seen some improvement from the tests that we’ve done, although it’s been slower than normal,” said Troy Buell, the state fishery program leader. While crabbers aren’t necessarily thrilled about the delay, they understand that it is nec- essary for a healthy market, said Hugh Link, executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. “I think this is unprecedented. I can’t remem- ber a time when all three states had this much of a delayed opening,” said Link, a 23-year vet- eran of the industry. “Our goal is to have good, marketable crab. If that’s what it takes for crab- bers to get the best price and consumers to get the best crab, that’s what we’ll do.” Due to low meat yield this year, officials had been pondering whether to delay the sea- son in all areas or whether to open it earlier in locations with larger crabs. Tests along the coast in October and November resulted in meat yields around 20 percent. All areas must have 23 percent yields, allowing consumers to purchase meatier crab, before the season can open. See TRAINING, Page 7A See CRAB SEASON, Page 6A Church feeds the hungry at the ‘Little Free Pantry’ Ocean Park Lutherans widen ministry By PATRICK WEBB For EO Media Group OCEAN PARK, Wash. — The only ones who might be unhappy about Ocean Park Lutheran Church’s new ministry are bears. Church leaders have installed a new free public pantry in Long Beach. It’s open to all to donate or receive — but it is in a sturdy, bear-proof container. “Pacific County is one of the poor- est counties in Washington state,” said Pastor Dawna Svaren. “We have a lot of families and community members who suffer from food insecurity.” A group of congregants gathered under a temporary shelter for a dedi- cation ceremony Sunday. Svaren told them that some 24 million adults and 13 million children in the United States face hunger every day. “This free pantry is a tangible way of helping those in the community who struggle day to day.” The “Little Free Pantry” is an appliance-sized brown metal con- tainer on the corner of Second Street Northeast and Oregon Ave- nue North in downtown Long Beach, across from the phone company facility just north of the Key Bank branch. Its door has a tight latch, designed to foil bears. The land is owned by congregation member Rose Wallace, whose “little free library” box has existed on the site for some while. Wallace said the Ocean Park church’s women’s group learned of the success of the idea, which started a couple of years ago in the Midwest, and led the drive to replicate it on the peninsula. “The pantry will be monitored daily to ensure a clean, tidy box and appropriate items,” said Wallace, the church’s financial secretary. “This pan- try is in a bear-safe container, because of the frequent incidents with bears being attracted to food in our area.” Organizers are hoping commu- nity members will donate nonperish- able prepackaged food items, canned proteins and vegetables, as well as See PANTRY, Page 6A Patrick Webb/For EO Media Group Bishop Rick Jaech, left, of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church of America, and Dawna Svaren, pastor at Ocean Park Lutheran Church, presided at a ceremony Sunday in which the Little Free Pantry project was dedicated. Church leaders see it as a practical way of helping the less fortunate in the Long Beach community.
