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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 2018)
DailyAstorian.com // MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2018 145TH YEAR, NO. 215 ONE DOLLAR Former Seaside custodian sentenced to prison for abuse levels,” she said. “You were the adult that was trusted in our school system.” A former Seaside Heights She then detailed the Elementary School custo- “unfortunate attention” the dian pleaded guilty Friday case has generated, causing and was sentenced to 25 years concerned looks and awk- in prison for molesting a girl ward conversations with oth- under 8 years old on several ers who live in Seaside. “This event has reached occasions. out way past our Keith Davis, 46, immediate fam- was arrested in Jan- uary. He was charged ily,” she said. “It’s affected our fam- with 25 alleged sex ily. It’s affected our crimes against the school. It’s affected girl. He pleaded our relationships. It’s guilty to three counts definitely affected of first-degree sod- omy and agreed to our self-confidence. Keith It has caused anxiety serve three concur- Davis rent sentences of 25 and sleepless nights.” years as part of a plea deal But she added she was with the Clatsop County Dis- proud of her daughter and trict Attorney’s Office. thankful for friends and Seaside police said after family. “I am proud of my chil- the former custodian’s arrest that they do not believe he dren for rising above so many was using his position with things that they should not the school to gain access to have experienced in their childhood,” she said. “We the victim. The girl’s parents reported will survive. We will grieve the incidents to police after and move on. We have no the girl came forward, Deputy secrets. We choose love, and District Attorney Dawn Buz- we deserve the best.” zard said. In a recorded phone Davis apologized for what call before the arrest that was he called a “huge mistake.” “All I hope is the best monitored by police, Davis admitted to committing the for all of you, and that the strength that I know all of you crimes. Buzzard said she was per- have will help you heal,” he sonally moved by the victim said. After issuing the sentence, and the family. “Even now I know that Circuit Court Judge Cin- she is stronger than most of us dee Matyas discussed how could be, and she is my hero,” unusual it is for a sex abuse perpetrator to take responsi- Buzzard said. The girl’s mother read bility this quickly and how an impact statement at the often victims decline to come sentencing hearing. She forward about their ordeals. “It’s not just you that you began by addressing Davis and his “well-executed” affect in your decisions to go forward here and talk about manipulation. “What you have done is what happened,” Matyas said. inexcusable. What you have “You help all of us, you know, done is damaging on so many stand up.” By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Students with the Clatsop Community College historic preservation and restoration program examine the Doughboy Monument. Doughboy Monument gets a needed facelift Uniontown landmark was damaged by crash last summer By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian W hen a large pickup truck plowed into the Doughboy Monument last summer, it wasn’t the first time the World War I memorial on Marine Drive had tangled with a vehicle, but it was among the worst accidents emergency responders had seen at the Uniontown landmark. Portions of the city-owned monument were left bro- ken and scarred. The crash snapped light poles, damaged planter boxes and cracked the concrete on curving walls. The accident also temporarily derailed plans that were already in motion at the time to restore features of the monument. The Astoria Parks and Recreation Department, which manages the site, reported earlier this spring that the city is still on track to have repair work — covered by insur- ance — and the bulk of the restoration — funded by a variety of grants — completed in time for the 100th anni- versary of the end of World War I on Nov. 11. On Saturday, students with Clatsop Community Col- lege’s historic preservation and restoration program cir- cled the memorial with clipboards in hand, assessing what needs to be done. Lucien Swerdloff, the program’s coor- dinator, and others are leading workshops at the site. It has turned the memorial into a very unique kind of classroom. “It is kind of ideal because it’s small. It’s manageable, but there’s a lot of things going on with it,” Swerdloff said. “A lot of the time when we do the workshops we have it all figured out and we just come and kind of do it,” he added. “So the students don’t get that whole ‘before’ stuff: How do you figure out what needs to be done? What materials do you need? How much is it going to cost?” See DOUGHBOY, Page 7A Hong Kong cart mixes Asian influence with a few Hispanic staples New food cart downtown By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Students and staff with Clatsop Community College make a list of things to repair at the memorial. Abbie and Dan Rhoads once lived across the Pacific Ocean from one another. Now the couple, who oper- ate food carts in the court- yard of the Astoria Station at 13th and Duane streets, work within shouting distance. After relocating last year to open The Hot Box Bar- becue cart outside Reach Break Brewing, the two have opened a second, Hong Kong Taco Cart, offering an Asian infusion on a Hispanic staple. Abbie, a native of Hong Kong, said the cart provides her the opportunity to pres- ent the rich tapestry of dif- ferent cultures and foods she was introduced to during her first 20 years in the interna- tional hub. “The Hot Box is limited, because it’s barbecue,” she said. Hong Kong offers tacos, burritos and rice bowl vari- ants of Asian dishes such as bulgogi, pho and tikka mas- ala. The Peking duck tacos come on a steamed bao buns. For dessert, the cart offers See CART, Page 7A Radio personality finds a home in Astoria Hurd overcame challenges to come to the North Coast By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian W hen Brandon Hurd moved to Astoria last year, he would drive by local radio station KRKZ almost every day on his way to work, wondering how he could get behind the mic. “I just kept looking in and thinking, ‘Man, I really want to do that,’” he said. So one day Hurd walked in and asked for a job with a Pres- ident Barack Obama impres- sion. It worked. The aspiring filmmaker and comedian has become the voice of comedy and fun facts local listeners hear during Saturday and Sun- day broadcasts. The way Hurd secured his role as a North Coast radio personality is about as uncon- ventional as the journey that brought him to Astoria in the first place. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hurd remembers developing a love of movies as a toddler. Growing up, his family moved in and out of homelessness. Watching mov- ies like “Toy Story,” “Aladdin” and “Jurassic Park” became an escape from an unstable reality. “When we were in North Carolina, I was too young to go to school and (my mom) was too poor for day care. So naturally I was put in front of Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian See HURD, Page 7A Brandon Hurd is an aspiring filmmaker and comedian.
