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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 2017)
NEW YEAR’S PEOPLE: LOCALS REFLECT ON THEIR LIFE STORIES DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 145TH YEAR, NO. 128 COAST WEEKEND ONE DOLLAR Boat prowler drives pickup into Columbia River fleeing from police Suspect plucked from water, lodged in jail By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian A diver enters the waters this morning off Tongue Point to search for a pickup driven into the river. Keeping dogs safe at state parks A man fleeing from police had to be rescued Wednesday after driving his pickup off a pier at North Tongue Point and into a side channel of the Columbia River. Timofey Erofeeff, 27, from Scotts Mills in Marion County, had been spot- ted trespassing on boats. Officers made contact with him about 10 a.m. as he was driving a red F-150, police said. They decided to charge him with sec- ond-degree criminal trespass and were advised to take him into custody for a Deschutes County parole violation. He took off as they approached his truck to make the arrest, starting a short pursuit. See SUSPECT, Page 7A Timofey Erofeeff Fort Stevens a huge economic driver Oregon State Parks reminds dog owners to keep pets on leashes while on the trail By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian The fear associated with a pet gone miss- ing is a feeling most owners never want to experience. Felix, a 2-year-old border collie, made headlines after he went missing around 3 p.m. Christmas day while on a hike with his owner, Sarah Stremming, in Ecola State Park. He was rescued unharmed from a prec- ipice 60 feet from the crest of the Clatsop Loop trail by the Seaside rope and rescue team. Thousands of visitors and locals bring their dogs on trails like the ones in Ecola State Park each year. Since Felix’s rescue, many Daily Astorian readers have asked why he was not leashed. Others are concerned with the risks taken by first responders, as well as the resources the rescue required. So what can owners do to keep their dogs out of this situation? “I know people hate to keep their dogs on a leash. But there’s a reason we ask, and a worst-case scenario can happen when they aren’t,” said Richard Walkoski of Oregon State Parks. “I would hate to see someone have a part of their family not with them because of it.” See DOGS, Page 7A Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Highly trained members of the Seaside rope and rescue team rescued a dog that fell off a cliff while hiking with his owner at Ecola State Park. Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Tourists visit the wreck of the Peter Iredale at Fort Stevens State Park. Study based on visitor surveys By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian estled along the South Jetty of the Columbia River in the most north- west point of Oregon, Fort Ste- vens State Park apparently offers more than historical significance and natural wonder. A six-year study by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department found that Fort Stevens was the second-highest eco- nomic driver of the more than 150 state parks. All the parks combined were found to add $1.1 billion to the state economy. Gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and bars were the primary beneficiaries. Nearly 1.5 million visitors spend $40.1 million in and around Fort Stevens in a given year. The park also supports nearly 600 full-time area jobs. “I’m not surprised,” Park Manager Justin Parker said. “People do come from a long ways away. People stay longer here than at any other park.” N A paraglider prepares to take flight off a beach at Fort Stevens State Park. The study was based on visitor sur- veys conducted at each state park for one year, though not all parks were studied in the same year. Figures for many coastal parks, such as Fort Stevens, came from 2011 surveys, while the surveys in east- ern parks were conducted last year. Over- all, visitor coastal parks totaled roughly half of all spending. The park, based around a fort built during the Civil War to guard against a potential British invasion, does not lack historical draws. Though it closed as an active military site after World War II, See FORT STEVENS, Page 8A Family finds silver lining in Goonies house restriction Eckhardts moved from Texas in September By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Limited access to the “Goonies house” nowadays often leaves once-hopeful tourists feeling downcast. But last year, it convinced a fam- ily of five to move to the area from thousands of miles away. Mitch and Alethea Eck- hardt traveled from their home in Texas to Portland in OUR NEW NEIGHBORS HIGHLIGHTING PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THE COMMUNITY the summer of 2016 to visit friends. Avid Goonies fans, and unaware that access to the house was cut off by the own- ers about a year earlier due to a tourist surge, they couldn’t help but drive nearly two hours to see the iconic residence. Instead, they strolled Asto- ria’s streets, dined at its restau- rants and snoozed at its hotels. They were hooked. Rather than wait until retirement and potentially move far away from their three children, the couple relocated to the area one year later. The Eckhardts still haven’t seen the Goonies house, but they have found their home. “If we did see the Goonies house, we wouldn’t have fallen in love with this town,” Mitch said with a chuckle. “I think See FAMILY, Page 7A The Eckhardt family.
