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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2019)
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019 146TH YEAR, NO. 191 Scott McClaine ONE DOLLAR Bill Hunsinger Hunsinger faces challenger for spot on Port Commission Special district elections held in May By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Port of Astoria Commissioner Bill Hunsinger has drawn a challenge in the May special district election from Scott McClaine, a former Port security guard and owner of Clatsop Coin. Hunsinger has served on the Port Commission for the past 12 years. He has emerged as a consistent critic of Jim Knight, the Port’s executive director, and as a watchdog of the agency’s spending. “We’ve got to dig ourselves out of a big hole, and the other commissioners don’t seem to want to look at the finances, the lawyer fees and all this other stuff,” he said. “I don’t think the Port deserves what’s been happening to it.” McClaine, from central Washington state, spent 28 years in the Coast Guard, including tours on the cutter Resolute at Tongue Point and with Group Astoria, the precursor to Sector Columbia River. After retiring in 2005, he returned to Astoria and in 2009 started Clatsop Coin. Nearly four years ago, he became a security guard at the Port. “It was my goal prior to becoming a security officer to run for the Port Com- mission,” McClaine said. “I’ve just taken four years to expose myself (to) the inner workings.” Hunsinger’s Position 3 is one of two seats available on the Port Commission. Robert Stevens, who was appointed to the commission in 2017, is running unop- posed for Position 4. “I highly regard Mr. Stevens, and I would like to see him continue,” McClaine said of why he chose to run against Hunsinger. “He’s the other available seat.” Hunsinger, a retired longshoreman and commercial fisherman, was first elected to the Port Commission in 2007. Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Geordan Newbill feels the rain coming down on the set of the documentary ‘Buffalo Soldiers of the Pacific Northwest,’ which features shots at Fort Stevens. A nEw dOcUmEnTaRy hIgHlIgHtS BuFfAlO SoLdIeRs A historic link to Fort Stevens By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian B eyond the Bob Marley song, the Buffalo Soldiers don’t get much play in the highlights of Ameri- can history. They served the U.S. mil- itary on the western frontier — among the first black soldiers to make a career out of fighting for Uncle Sam. One of them was 1st Sgt. Moses Williams, a man born a slave who, as an Army soldier in the 9th U.S. Cav- alry, earned the Medal of Honor. His final duties included caring for the can- nons at Fort Stevens in the 1890s as the ordnance sergeant. An independent film crew working on a documentary titled “Buffalo Sol- diers of the Pacific Northwest” shot sev- eral scenes of historical re-enactment at Fort Stevens State Park on Monday. Williams is played by Geordan Newbill, president of the nonprofit Buf- falo Soldiers of Seattle, who sports an 1880s-style uniform made just for the film. Also featured is the park’s 2nd U.S. Artillery, which ran through multi- ple takes of loading and firing cannons with gunpowder charges as Newbill’s Moses gave orders to “Fire!” That morning, the crew had gathered footage of Newbill in Kelso, Washing- ton. They hope to hit Yosemite soon to interview a historian before wrapping up principal photography, co-director and producer Jerry Bell Jr. said. Members of the film crew set up a shot. Special districts In the Sunset Empire Transportation District, incumbent Tracy MacDonald, a Home Depot employee, faces a challenge from Larry Taylor, the former chairman of the Clatsop County Democrats, for Posi- tion 1. Incumbent Lylla Gaebel faces a chal- lenge from Debbie Boothe-Schmidt, a trial assistant with the Clatsop County District Attorney’s Office, for Position 5. The Sunset Empire Park and Recre- ation District features two contested races. There are four candidates for Position 4 being vacated by Edward Hassan, includ- ing retiree Marti Wajc, former Colum- bia Bank branch officer Katherine Parker, Seaside School District employee Shir- ley Yates and radio station owner John Chapman. Dru Holley, left, directs Geordan Newbill, right, on the set of ‘Buffalo Soldiers of the Pacific Northwest.’ See Documentary, Page A5 See Election, Page A5 Jewell School District switches principal, superintendent Smyth leaves for post in Gresham By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian JEWELL — The Jew- ell School District is tran- sitioning early to new lead- ership after Terrence Smyth resigned as principal to take a position as interim prin- cipal of Gresham High School. Wendy Crozier, Jewell’s dean of students and a for- mer elementary teacher in Portland Public Schools, has been named Smyth’s interim replacement as principal of Terrence Smyth Alice Hunsaker the rural K-12 campus. The school district is in negotiations with Jon Wood, the programs coordi- nator for the Nyssa School District in Eastern Ore- gon, to be the new perma- nent principal starting next school year. Wood, a former assistant principal, life sci- ence teacher and special education assistant in Nyssa, was chosen from seven candidates interviewed by a hiring committee. At a recent meeting, the Jewell School Board also installed Steve Phillips as acting superintendent. For- mer Superintendent Alice Hunsaker, Smyth’s signif- icant other and Jewell’s leader since 2013, will con- tinue advising the school district from a distance as she transitions into retire- ment after the school year. “Technically, she is still our superintendent,” Bryan Swearingen, the chairman of the school board, said of Hunsaker. “The district had a need to appoint an acting superintendent to carry out daily activities.” The transition helps take the training wheels off for Phillips while providing him support from Hunsaker as a consultant, Swearingen said. Smyth first came to Clat- sop County in 2015 after being hired as superinten- dent of Knappa School Dis- trict. He resigned within his first six months on the job before being hired as princi- pal in Jewell, where he was living. Before Knappa, he spent eight years as princi- pal of the Springwater Trail High School in the Gresh- am-Barlow School District. Neither Smyth nor Hun- saker were available for comment.
