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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2018)
THE TRAIL BAND CHOOSES CANNON BEACH FOR LAST SHOW COAST WEEKEND 146TH YEAR, NO. 124 DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2018 ONE DOLLAR Port moves toward ship fee Money would help pay for maintenance at Pier 1 By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian In the face of legal warnings from the shipping industry, the Port of Astoria is moving toward charging a fee on pass- ing ships to help pay for maintenance at Pier 1. The Port, strapped for cash, has been looking for ways to raise more money to repair its aging infrastructure. Com- missioners last year broached the idea of charging anchorage fees, although mari- time attorney Michael Haglund said the Port would need to provide necessary services. Port staff last month opened the possi- bility of charging landing fees on seafood processors and fees for passing ships, contracting Haglund to explore the pos- sibilities. Haglund reported back that the Port has broad authority to charge fees in its jurisdiction, which stretches to the Washington state side of the Columbia River. The Port has talked about limiting fees to passing vessels 250 feet or longer, cap- turing oceangoing ships and leaving out fi shing, sailing and other smaller boats. The possibility of new fees has brought out representatives from the shipping industry in opposition. Kate Mickelson, executive director of the Columbia River Steamship Oper- ators’ Association, which represents oceangoing vessels, has cautioned the Port to keep the river’s ports competitive. She has cited a U.S. Supreme Court rul- ing that shot down a property tax imposed on oil tankers by Valdez, Alaska, because the Constitution bars states from enacting tonnage fees without an act of Congress. At a Port Commission meeting o n Tuesday, Mickelson brought along Dave Boyajian, a ship captain and attorney with Portland fi rm Schwabe, William- son & Wyatt. The Supreme Court rul- ing was broad in its restrictions against ports charging visiting or passing ships, or every town along the river would be doing so, he said. “Throwing good time and good money after bad has never been a good way to go after and try to increase revenues,” Boy- ajian said. “Certainly the Port needs to increase revenues, but this particular ave- nue, the door is closed on it.” Haglund disputed Boyajian’s argu- ment. He said the Port is looking at a har- bor fee, rather than a tax like in Valdez, to support the maintenance of Pier 1, the only structure large enough at the mouth of the Columbia where ships can tie up in case of emergency. Pier 1 periodically plays host to ves- sels ordered to make repairs by the Coast Guard. Haglund referenced the most recent example, the 600-foot, Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Two-way traffi c returns to Bond Street, leaving behind trails of light in this long exposure photograph. BOND STREET RELIEF East-west connector reopens to two-way traffi c By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian D ABOVE: A construction crew works to repair Bond Street in September. BELOW: Offi cials check on the work on Bond Street in September. o you suffer fl ashbacks of sum- mer traffi c snarls every time you drive through Uniontown on Marine Drive? Good news: Bond Street is open to two-way traffi c again. Merry Christmas. The street, which provides an alter- native east-west connector through the city , opened ahead of schedule, and ahead of an offi cial ribbon-cutting planned for Friday afternoon. The city still must install a fence on one side and is waiting for the materials to become available. “But we’re not going to keep it closed just for that,” said Jeff Har- rington, Astoria’s public works director. A portion of Bond Street was reduced to one lane of westbound traf- fi c in 2007 after a landslide that has been moving since the 1800s impacted the road. The city had hoped to build a retaining wall against the slide, widen the road and reopen the street to two- way traffi c last year, but record rain- fall delayed the project until late this summer. It’s an exciting development for city leaders, who noted the need for full access to the street when they awarded a construction contract in September. “We are all really looking forward to that, given the traffi c woes in Asto- ria,” City Councilor Zetty Nemlowill, who represents the west side, said at the time . “It will be good to have that open again.” See Street, Page A11 See Port, Page A11 Cannon Beach Academy could close Low enrollment, unpaid pledges By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian Students from Cannon Beach Academy glue marine plastics to a mural of a sea star. CANNON BEACH — The Cannon Beach Acad- emy could close before the end of the school year if a $75,000 shortfall is not addressed in the next few months. The public charter school’s fi nancial situation is due to lower-than-ex- pected enrollment and uncollected pledges . “The board of direc- tors is committed to keep- ing Cannon Beach Acad- emy operating. We will make a concentrated effort to secure our pledges and, if necessary, to conduct fund- raising activities,” Kellye Dewey, the school board president, and Barb Knop, the treasurer, wrote in a joint statement. “The board sincerely hopes that our donors who have pledged their fi nancial support of the school through pledges are able to honor their commit- ments to t he Cannon Beach Academy.” As of last week, the charter school had received only about $35,000 of the expected $100,000 pledged for the school year, leav- ing more than two-thirds of pledged money outstanding. Additionally, about $10,000 outside of pledges will need to be raised to close the gap. “I don’t know how to impress upon the board the importance of getting our pledges,” Amy Fredrick- son, the academy director, said at a December board meeting. “I don’t know if people truly understand how urgent it is that we need their money.” See Academy, Page A11
