ASTORIA OPEN STUDIOS TOUR 2018 146TH YEAR, NO. 119 COAST WEEKEND INSIDE ONE DOLLAR DailyAstorian.com // More than just a summer job County approves lodging tax for new jail Money for jail operations By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Photos by Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Mike Ward, a sawmill, logyard and truck shop manager at Hampton Lumber’s Warrenton mill, shows Clatsop Works interns the area where fresh-cut lumber is stacked before being kiln-dried. See TAX, Page 7A Clatsop Works connects students to workforce Authorities identify man killed by Seaside police By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian R ebecca Sprengeler felt bad not being able to take on shifts at her usual summer job at Pelican Brewing Co. in Cannon Beach, despite the need for help during the busy tourist season. But the recent Warrenton High School graduate received a job offer managing social media and helping to market the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District in Seaside, more in line with her goal of becoming a graphic designer. “I could just be working during the summer, working at a restaurant down in Cannon Beach, but this is helping me get to where I want to be in the future,” Sprengeler said. Sprengeler is one of 16 students in Clatsop Works, a new summer intern- ship program to give local students an introduction to the workforce. Interns from Astoria, Warrenton and Knappa high schools, along with Clat- sop Community College, have taken up a wide variety of full-time jobs around the county with Sunset Empire, Berger- son Construction Inc., Englund Marine & Industrial Supply Co., Colum- bia Memorial Hospital, Providence Seaside Hospital, Hampton Lumber, Ocean Crest Chevrolet Buick GMC, The Clatsop County Board of Commission- ers on Wednesday approved a 1 percent lodging tax to help pay for jail operations, despite con- certed opposition from the lodging and tourism industries. The new tax, which will take effect in January, will generate an estimated $1.4 million annually in revenue for the county and cities. By state law, 70 percent must be spent on tourism promotion, while 30 percent — an estimated $420,000 — can be used for jail operations. The county already imposes a 9.5 percent lodging tax in unincorporated areas, in addi- tion to state and city taxes. The new tax will apply within and outside city limits. The tax comes in advance of a $20 million bond measure in November to move the Clatsop County Jail from Astoria to the former North Coast Youth Correctional Facility in Warrenton. The vote to impose the tax was 3-1. Scott Lee, Clatsop Works intern Rebecca Sprengeler, who recently graduated from Warrenton High School, works on marketing and social media for the Sun- set Empire Park and Recreation District. Lum’s Auto Center, the Haystack Rock Awareness Program, Martin North Hospitality and Rickenbach Construc- tion Inc. Students spend each Wednesday in professional development workshops learning customer service, safety, com- munication and other skills. Local school districts and the col- lege provided funding for the internship program’s coordinator, Anna Stamper, who led students through the process of applying and interviewing for jobs. “It’s very real-world,” Stamper said. “The students negotiate their pay rate.” One early entrant was Hampton Lumber, which last year took on two local high schoolers as part of a pilot program. Cliff Tuttle, who oversees special projects for Hampton Lum- ber, said he’d spoken with Craig Hop- pes, superintendent of Astoria schools, about how to get kids more engaged in school and ready for the workforce. Hampton Lumber has also helped expand career-technical courses at Astoria High School. “Everywhere, Hampton tries to take on interns,” he said. “It was a natural fit. We were surprised by the number of kids who did not know about the oppor- tunities” locally. Case was allegedly waving pistols By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian SEASIDE — Authorities said the man shot and killed by Seaside police on Tuesday afternoon was armed with two black powder pistols. Cashus Dean Case, 44, of Seaside, was allegedly waving the pistols at the Seasider RV Park in anger after a man had been bitten by a dog. He was shot by police after allegedly refusing to disarm, according to the Clatsop County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities said the gunfire occurred after a con- frontation, but did not say whether Case was point- ing or waving the pistols at police. Black powder pistols are antiques or reproductions of guns popu- lar in the 1800s. See CLATSOP WORKS, Page 7A See SHOOTING, Page 7A Warrenton considers zone change to spur growth City leaders want closer look at traffic By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — A zone change that would open up property in Warrenton for housing and business devel- opment is on hold while city leaders take a closer look at potential traffic impacts. The City Commission voted Tuesday night to con- tinue a hearing on a city-ini- tiated zone change for about ‘IF YOU COMPARE IT TO THE STATEWIDE GOALS AND GUIDELINES, IT’S REALLY KIND OF A UNIQUE PARCEL THAT COULD SATISFY YOUR BUILDABLE LANDS AND GROWTH REQUIREMENTS.’ Mike Morgan | a planning consultant for Warrenton 20 acres of land between U.S. Highway 101 and Spur 104 to Aug. 14. Mayor Henry Balen- sifer said he wanted more time to read through a revised traf- fic study that was only dis- tributed to commissioners on Monday. The zone change and any resulting development will funnel more traffic onto side streets and nearby Ensign Lane, as well as Spur 104, city consultants said. Traffic is an issue the city is particularly sensitive to right now. Since the new Walmart opened, county officials and Warrenton police say the flood of cars coming and going from the store are creating new traf- fic flow problems and exacer- bating old ones. Traffic flows impact quality of life, and enhancing quality of life in Warrenton is a com- mission goal, Commissioner Rick Newton said. “While that spur road isn’t particularly busy, some of the proposed improvements are going to cost a bit of money,” Balensifer said, “and the ques- tion is: Will (the Oregon Department of Transportation) do them? It’s one thing for us to say, ‘Build and go, it’s good go,’ and if ODOT doesn’t fol- low up on their part, you’ve just created a nightmare. Sure you built it, but it’s not a very great place to live or do business.” See WARRENTON, Page 7A