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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2018)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2018 Crab boats launch as season opens By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Crab boats and crab pots hit the water early this morning. According to fishermen, seafood processors and crab- bers in Newport agreed to a starting price of around $2.75 per pound. While fleets up and down the Oregon Coast have left the docks to set their gear, there is no official word yet on what prices they’ll likely be receiving, said Hugh Link, executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. The price reported in New- port is down from the average starting price of $2.89 that crabbers saw last season, but higher than what processors had initially offered. Price negotiations between pro- cessors and crabbers stalled last week, further delaying the start of a season that had already been delayed to allow crabs to fill out with meat. The commercial Dungeness sea- son traditionally starts Dec. they do not believe he was using his position with the school to gain access to the SEASIDE — A Seaside victim in this case. Davis is being held at man was arrested Thurs- day for allegedly molesting the Clatsop County Jail on a child on several occasions. $500,000 bail. His arraign- The allegations are based ment is scheduled for later this month if on several incidents indicted. from 2007 to 2011 “If anyone does when the child was believe any similar between the ages incidents did occur of 5- and 9-years- based on his employ- old. Seaside police ment at the school, arrested Keith Davis, they are encouraged 46, who has been charged with five Keith Davis to come forward,” Deputy District counts of first-degree sexual abuse and five counts Attorney Dawn Buzzard said. Those with further infor- of first-degree sodomy. Davis is a former custo- mation are advised to call dian at Seaside Heights Ele- Seaside Police Detective Bill mentary School. Police say Barnes at 503-738-6311. By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian The crab season has finally opened. 1 but is sometimes delayed because of price negotiations or when crabs do not have enough meat. In recent years, high levels of the marine toxin domoic acid have also pushed the opening back. On social media, many fishermen said they were dis- appointed over the lower price, with some writing that New- port crabbers broke the strike when they could have per- haps held out for more money. Other people posted prayers or simply wrote, “Good luck” or “Best of luck!” One woman posted photos of boats heading out of Coos Bay, bright lights shining in the dark. “Stay safe,” she wrote. Limited impact on North Coast from shutdown By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian The federal government shutdown had limited impact in Clatsop County. The government shut down at midnight Friday after Con- gress and President Donald Trump were unable to agree on a short-term budget deal. During shutdowns, some gov- ernment employees are placed on temporary unpaid leave. No federal employees receive pay- checks until Congress passes a funding bill. In Clatsop County, essen- tial services like distributing Social Security checks and veteran’s benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, the military and the U.S. Postal Service con- tinued. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Former Seaside Heights custodian charged with child molestation Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian A sign at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park warns visitors of limited services available during the govern- ment shutdown. tion continued to issue weather warnings. Local Coast Guard officials did not specify how the shut- down affected internal opera- tions. Essential functions were not impacted, however. “It won’t stop us from launching on a search-and-res- cue mission or oil spill or some- thing like that,” Petty Officer 1st Class Levi Read said. The shutdown did affect national parks and museums, including Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Jon Burpee, the park’s superinten- dent, was the only employee working as of Saturday. He said about 15 park employees were furloughed. No visitor services, educational program- ming, maintenance and janito- rial work was available. January is one of the slow- est times of the year for the park, Burpee said, so few camping reservations were disrupted. The shutdown can- celed “Cocoa and Coho” on Saturday, an event where peo- ple plant and help rehabilitate wetlands around the park for salmon habitat, Burpee said. Trails remained open. “The goal is to keep as much access as possible while still protecting the sensitive cul- tural and natural stuff,” he said. Longtime patrons blast Seaside pool renovation By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian SEASIDE — After a more than two-month clo- sure, swimmers returned to the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District pool in mid-December to resume classes, meets and swims. The Broadway pool was repainted and LED lighting was installed. In the men’s locker room, new show- ers were installed, floors were redone and walls were repainted. But some longtime pool users say the renovations have diminished their experience. “Swimming is my life,” Seaside’s Marti Wajc said. “It’s important to all the women who swim. Learning to swim saved my life. Being able to swim is essential to me.” Wajc, who has been swimming at the pool for 15 years, complained of “the filthy conditions” of the women’s locker room. “The shower in particular — you could go in three days later and see the same con- ditioner and the hair on the wall,” she said. Flooring in the women’s shower area is so slippery that swimmers are at risk of falls, she added. John Huismann, a pool user from Cannon Beach, said he was disappointed with changes in the men’s locker room, which he said put public safety at risk. “We took a nice locker room, everybody liked it, and turned it into something that was god awful,” Huismann said at the park district’s board meeting Tuesday. Huismann said public input had been limited during the renovation process and areas that used to be “bright and light” were now dark and dreary. 3 TO WAYS GET YOUR COPY • ORDER ONLINE• www.DiscoverOurCoast.com/order • STOP BY ONE OF OUR 3 LOCATIONS• Astoria • 949 Exchange St. Seaside • 1555 N. Roosevelt Dr. Long Beach • 205 Boldstad Ave. E #2 • PICK UP A PHONE• Call Holly Larkins at 503-325-3211, x227 Email: hlarkins@dailyastorian.com