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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2018)
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2018 145TH YEAR, NO. 246 ONE DOLLAR AP Photo/Patrick Sison Clatsop County has joined a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. ‘GOOD FIRST STEP’ Support builds for Clatsop County’s role in drug fight By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian It’s not yet clear how a national lawsuit against pharmaceutical man- ufacturers and distributors will affect Clatsop County, but locals involved with the issue say the fight to curb opi- oid addiction will extend well beyond the courtroom. Clatsop County joined a handful of Oregon counties in a lawsuit that, for now, is being heard by a federal judge in Ohio and involves scores of other communities across the country. The suit claims a number of drug manufacturers and distributors — through misleading information about addiction potential and inadequate record keeping — should bear much of the responsibility for spikes in opi- oid addiction the past two decades. “What I hope would come from this would be a major airing of the whole, miserable event,” said Dr. Thomas Duncan, the county’s public health officer. “A lot of people cashed in on the gullibility of patients.” More than 27 percent of Clatsop County residents were prescribed opi- oids in 2015, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Curry County’s rate, by comparison, was 35 percent — the 74th largest figure of any county in the country. Heroin and mixed prescription drugs led to 12 overdose deaths from 2014 to 2016, according to Clatsop County Medical Examiner JoAnn Giuliani. “Most of what we would be alleg- ing would be characterized as bad acts by the distributor,” said Michael Rose of D’Amore Law Group, which is representing the Oregon counties in the suit. “Generally, in discussions, the counties aren’t concerned with mak- ing a lot of money. There’s a concern about the harm they see every day.” Distributors say they do not man- ufacture or prescribe the drugs, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Admin- istration is responsible for limiting production. “Given our role, the idea that dis- tributors are responsible for the num- ber of opioid prescriptions writ- ten defies common sense and lacks understanding of how the pharma- ceutical supply chain actually works Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Walmart General Manager Kimberly Smith stands outside the Warrenton location set to open on Wednesday. WALMART ERA BEGINS ON THE NORTH COAST By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian ARRENTON — After years of lawsuits, settling on a location and building a store- front, the North Coast’s new Walmart opens at 8 a.m. Wednesday on the corner of Ensign Lane and U.S. Highway 101. The national retailer has been filling its new supercenter and training staff in preparation for the grand opening. General Manager Kimberly Smith said the store has hired more than 250 people. W GRAND OPENING The North Coast’s new Walmart is lo- cated on the corner of Ensign Lane and U.S. Highway 101. It’s scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Wednesday. “I want to say 95, 98 percent of our associates are local,” Smith said, adding that while the store has enough people to open, it will continue to hire. The 150,000-square-foot supercenter includes groceries, electronics, clothing, home accesso- ries, sporting goods, a pharmacy, auto and out- doors, along with a Subway restaurant and ATM. The store has made nods to local hobbies, such as clam guns, crab pots and a do-it-yourself baiting area, Smith said. See WALMART, Page 5A See OPIOIDS, Page 5A Walmart employees at the new store in Warrenton prepare for the grand opening. Local family takes over Custard King in Astoria More seafood planned By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian The Daily Astorian A local family is taking over operation of Custard King. A local family is reopening the Custard King in Astoria. Tara Gerlitz, her partner, Jeromy Connor, and her mother, Jamie Gerlitz, have leased the small walk-up on Marine Drive and are prepar- ing to open later this month. Custard King had initially closed in Decem- ber for the winter season before the owners, who had difficulty managing it from a distance, decided to move on. The family had been discussing a food cart or brick-and-mortar restaurant for the past sev- eral years but were waiting for the right loca- tion, said Jamie Gerlitz. When the family spot- ted the Custard King lease, they decided to take the plunge. Connor is a commercial fisherman, while the Gerlitzes have experience in the restaurant industry. Jamie Gerlitz previously managed the Old Oregon Smokehouse in Tillamook, while Tara Gerlitz made custom cakes from home. This is the family’s first time as business owners. The original plan was to replace Custard King with a new restaurant. But over time, the See CUSTARD KING, Page 5A
