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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2019)
ASTORIA SUNDAY MARKET • INSIDE DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 146TH YEAR, NO. 220 $1.50 Elk project receives some state support Problem gets an Oregon Solutions tag By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian Gov. Kate Brown gave her stamp of approval to a project that will look for solutions to elk and human confl icts in Gearhart and Warrenton. The governor designated the Clatsop Plains Elk Collaborative as an offi cial Oregon Solutions project at the end of April, opening the door for state fund- ing, as well as boosting the priority of the work. The collaborative will include stakeholders such as private and public property owners, residents, city leaders and wildlife regulators. The designation signals to state agencies that “this is a project that’s important to Oregon,” said Karmen Fore, director of Oregon Solutions, which is based out of Portland State University’s National Policy Consen- sus Center. Gearhart and Warrenton have strug- gled with how to address confl icts between people and growing elk herds on the Clatsop Plains. “The purpose of this is to fi nd a solu- tion, a pathway forward,” Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer said . He will serve as a neutral conve- ner for the group, along with Seaside Mayor Jay Barber. Photos by Colin Murphey/The Astorian Seana Fields looks through a rack of prom dresses at Cinderella’s Closet in Warrenton. At Cinderella’s Closet, the door opens for girls to go to prom Donated dresses and salon days are possible See Elk, Page A6 By BRENNA VISSER The Astorian Port fi nance committee says outlook is ‘dire’ K rystal Pike remembers what it felt like to worry about getting a prom dress . As the daughter of a sin- gle mom, there was rarely extra money left over for things like a ballgown or salon day. “I felt like those kinds of things wouldn’t be for me,” she said. See Closet, Page A5 Amber Blecha styles Janessa Bork’s hair at the Allure Salon in Warrenton before prom. i ‘IT WAS A FEELING OF ACCEPTANCE ... THE FEELING OF BEING INCLUDED. THEY DIDN’T WANT ME TO MISS OUT ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE STILL WANTED TO DO THINGS TOGETHER, BUT IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE A DRESS YOU COULDN’T GO — JUST LIKE CINDERELLA. I JUST REMEMBER FEELING LIKE SOMEBODY CARED ENOUGH.’ Krystal Pike | stylist for Allure Salon, remembering friends who lent her dresses to make sure she could attend dances Agency must rebuild credibility By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian The fi nance committee convened to help the Port of Astoria fi nd more money fi nished its work Friday, fi nalizing a list of strong recommendations meant to help the agency dig out of an estimated $20 million maintenance backlog and build more credibility with other governments and the public. The committee is comprised of fi nance, accounting and economic devel- opment professionals. Their recommen- dations will inform a strategic plan, a requirement for the Port to get more state fi nancing. See Port, Page A6 Astoria doctor shined a light on child abuse Little plans to retire this year By BRENNA VISSER The Astorian There is a lot that can be trying about working on child abuse cases. At The Lighthouse for Kids, a child abuse evalu- ation center in Astoria, Dr. Roy Little has evaluated almost 500 cases. The sto- ries can be heartbreaking, and their resolutions some- times disappointing. But then there are the drawings. For years, Little has accumulated sketches and notes from the children he has helped. One child wrote that a “big hole in my heart got fi lled up.” Another, which still hangs on the wall, simply says, “Thank you.” “You can take on a lot of headache when you get those,” he said. After 17 years, Little will retire as the evaluation cen- ter’s primary medical exam- iner this year. Originally from Cali- fornia, Little moved to the North Coast after receiv- ing a call from another local physician, Dr. Tom Duncan, near the end of his eight- year tour in the Air Force . In 1990, he established his own private practice in Astoria. In 2002, t he Lighthouse approached Little and asked him to join as a medical examiner in addition to his practice. “I’ve always liked work- ing with children,” he said. “It’s fun to watch them grow up, (and) it’s satisfying to help families out.” Little conducts medical evaluations to look for evi- dence of neglect and abuse. Other specialists also do interviews with the children, which are recorded and can be used in court. “The reason we do things ... is to try and create as much legally admissible informa- tion about what happened to the child without the child having to be exposed to the courtroom adversarial envi- ronment,” he said. Now, with retirement six months away, Little is hop- ing to fi nd his replacement. Brenna Visser/The Astorian See Little, Page A5 Roy Little has worked at The Lighthouse for Kids for 17 years.
