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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2018)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 Moore: ‘This is the last stop in my career’ Continued from Page 1A “This is the last stop in my career, or as I have said a few times, this is my last hurrah,” Moore said in 2016. Moore’s last day is Jan. 4. Peter Roscoe, a former Asto- ria city councilor and restaurateur, and Pamela Wev, a land use con- sultant, are vying for the county commission’s District 3 seat in November. The race could settle the idealogical dispute over county decision-making. Roscoe has said the county charter gives the county manager clear authority over daily oper- ations, while Wev has called for more board oversight. Roscoe said the next county manager should be hired after the election, when former Warrenton Mayor Mark Kujala and either Ros- coe or Wev will begin their terms. While admitting he has an out- side view, Roscoe has noticed that recent county managers have had “rocky tenures,” and that they often find themselves in a “bear trap.” “I don’t know why that happens on the county level,” Roscoe said. “Somebody that can work with the commissioners is what we need.” Lee, who did not seek re-elec- tion this year, agreed that the hir- ing should take place after the new board is in place. Monica Steele, the assistant county manager and budget director, would be the log- ical choice as an interim county manager after Moore’s final day, he said. “Obviously the new board is going to have the ultimate decision as to who the next county manager is going to be,” Lee said. “My hope is that we have a smooth transition.” Rabbits: City has chosen not to get involved Continued from Page 1A soon the north end of town was home to dozens of the fluffy critters. Another family wanted to join in the fun, according to the museum, and decided to release their own bunnies in the 1990s. But in the past five years or so, the colony has moved to Tolovana, which neigh- bors credit to the fact the area has fewer predators. The free range, and the tendency of some neighbors and guests from surrounding hotels to feed them, has led to a rabbit invasion. High levels of acidic rab- bit urine and feces forced Postlewait to reseed her grass twice in two years, costing about $3,800. “It has just gotten to pro- portions that are unaccept- able,” Postlewait said. For many neighbors, like Michael Orth, the amount of manure, which can carry a variety of diseases, is primar- ily a health concern. “Lots of us like to have our grandchildren play in the yard,” Orth said. “But they are young. If they acciden- tally ingest it? There’s a lot of potential health issues.” With the neighborhood sitting on the oceanfront, res- idents often find beachgo- ers chasing the bunnies into their yards, thinking they are on public properties. Dogs do the same, though the bunnies usually don’t survive those encounters. Residents have tried just about everything: Pouring fox pee and chili powder on plants. Fencing. Live trap- ping and relocation. But nothing has made a dent. “It’s just not realistic. There are so many, I could be out there every day and not make a difference,” Postle- wait said. “I don’t believe the satisfactory solution is home- Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Clatsop County Manager Cameron Moore will retire. Flavel home: ‘They built the entire house in six months without any power tools’ Continued from Page 1A Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Rabbits eat vegetation outside a fenced-off area at the south end of Cannon Beach. Kelly Fitzpatrick said she has to wrap certain plants on her property in wire to protect them from rabbits. owners to trap rabbits. I think it’s the responsibility of the city to help out somehow.” ‘Critter of Cannon Beach’ While the overzealous bunny population has been a long-standing reality, the city has chosen not to get involved in pest control in the past. Wildlife feeding bans have been introduced, but none have come to fruition. “If you go into a neigh- borhood, you’re going to find 50 percent want them and 50 percent will not,” City Man- ager Bruce St. Denis said. At the Tolovana Inn, the bunnies have become a tour- ist attraction. “The guests love it. Some request certain rooms to be closer to ‘Bunny Hill,’ which is what we call the place where they hang out,” said Michael Soprano, the group sales coordinator for the hotel. Also solidly in the pro- bunny camp sits Melodie Chenevert, another neigh- bor in Tolovana and cham- pion of the campaign to make the bunnies the official crit- ter. Her love for them started with her granddaughter, who was delighted by them hop- ping around her yard. After a particularly rough winter two years ago, Chen- evert started to feed the bun- nies carrots and broccoli, and has enjoyed keeping them around her property ever since. Their constant pres- ence in town makes them not only a novelty, but a commu- nity pillar, she said. “I’m a live-and-let-live person,” Chenevert said. “They were released here. It’s not their fault they are run- ning through Cannon Beach. They’re a part of the commu- nity now.” Chenevert admits the bun- nies also do a number on her lawn and plants. “But to me, it’s the price you pay to have a cute neigh- bor that doesn’t hurt anyone,” she said. The home was built in 1901 for Capt. George Conrad Fla- vel, a bar pilot and son of the famed Capt. George Flavel, one of the first licensed bar pilots in the state. Although imposing from the outside with commanding views of the Columbia River, the house is only about 5,000 square feet, roughly half the size of the Fla- vel House Museum on Eighth Street downtown. “The most amazing thing to me is that they built the entire house in six months without any power tools,” Jeff Newen- hof said. He estimates it will take a couple of months per floor to finish the restoration and hopes to be complete in the next year. Much of the work will be done by contractors, with Jeff Newenhof taking on more responsibility at City Lum- ber since his brother’s death. When the restoration is com- plete, the home will go on the market. The home will open Sept. 22 for self-guided tours of the upper three floors. The basement, filled with items left behind by the estate, will remain closed. Jeff Newen- hof will be on hand to answer questions. The tours — $10 for histor- ical society members and $25 for nonmembers — are part of a three-day event, including a Thursday lecture by Good- enberger and a few minutes of family home videos at the Columbian Theater. On Fri- day, attendees can have cock- tails at the home, view newly donated family videos and bid for a chance at a catered dinner at the Flavel House Museum. The proceeds will go toward the historical society’s publishing of the definitive Flavel biography. “Where the ultimate focus will be is still up for discus- sion,” Goodenberger said. “It will include the most recent generation to an extent. My lecture Thursday is a spine on which the book will be formed.” However much money the historical society can raise through next week’s events will largely determine the size and scope of the project, said Sam Rascoe, the group’s mar- keting director. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian The interior of the George C. Flavel home is nearly ready for the final touches of the restoration process. Urban Core: Entire process is expected to continue through April Continued from Page 1A In June, the City Council approved a contract with consultants to begin the pro- cess of collecting public input and develop- ing code language for the Urban Core. City councilors opted not to wait for grant fund- ing for the work, choosing instead to use city money and start immediately. On Thursday, some people in the audi- ence said the discussion about the high cost of developing projects over water was evi- dence of the value of the land, and that it should be preserved for views and public access. Others, like George Hague, who lives at Columbia House condominiums, said techniques intended to preserve views, such as setting new buildings back from the edge of a lot or stepping back portions of a building as it rises, would not be enough. Hague and others also pushed for a park- ing plan before more intensive develop- ment is allowed. Trabucco asked if the city had consid- ered leasing the overwater sites from the state — an option taken by some busi- nesses already on the waterfront — to pre- serve views. It is an option, City Manager Brett Estes replied. Thursday’s meeting reassured Astoria resident Terrie Powers, who shares some of Hague’s concerns. She plans to attend the many other public discussions that will take place with the Planning Commission over the coming months. “I was impressed by the thoughtfulness that has already gone into it,” she said. The entire process is expected to con- tinue through April, with final standards adopted in May. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian The Urban Core in Astoria includes the riverfront area from Second Street to 16th Street.
