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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2019)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019 IN BRIEF Seaside man sentenced for robbery A Seaside man pleaded no con- test Wednesday to robbery in the fi rst degree, driving under the infl uence of intoxicants and unau- thorized use of a vehicle. Cody Charles Ford, 37, was sentenced to more than three years in prison. In May, Ford broke into a Sea- side home and stole a vehicle from a man who had recently died. The Cody Charles Ford next morning, while under the infl uence of intoxicants, he drove the vehicle into a rock near the Tides Motel in Seaside. Astoria City Councilor Brownson to hold meet and greet Saturday Astoria City Councilor Tom Brownson is holding a “Meet Your Councilor” event at 9 a.m. on Saturday at 3 Cups Coffee, 279 W. Marine Drive. Residents are invited to discuss city issues. — The Astorian Grants help people in Pacifi c County Jail LONG BEACH, Wash. — Pacifi c County plans to hire three new employees to support people with men- tal illness and addiction while they are in the county jail and after they’re released. The new positions include a full-time mental health and substance use therapist in Pacifi c County Jail and two community reentry liaisons, one based in North County and one in South County. The positions are funded by two federal grants worth $1.7 million. — Chinook Observer DEATHS Oct. 23, 2019 TODD, Mary Bridget Haunani, 59, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. Oct. 21, 2019 McAVOY, Patricia Mary, 85, of Astoria died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. MOWREY, Sylvia H., 105, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. Buyers need to take a hard look at Gearhart Elementary School Some suggest a fi re station By R.J. MARX The Astorian GEARHART — Buy- ers are taking a hard look at the Seaside School District’s three properties — Gearhart Elementary School, Broad- way Middle School and Sea- side High School — each built with an expected lifes- pan of 45 to 50 years. In a tour of Gearhart Ele- mentary before the bond vote in 2016, Doug Dougherty, an advocate of a new campus and Seaside school superin- tendent at the time, pointed out water pipes in narrow, unlit tunnels. Maintenance workers holding fl ashlights needed to shimmy or crawl as far as 250 feet to locate leaks and then hammer through concrete to reach encased pipes. Sections have not been replaced since the elementary school was built in 1949. The three schools are each about equal in disrepair, Dougherty said, but Gearhart students have no way to evac- uate to high ground. Since that time, crews have done routine mainte- nance — polishing fl oors, painting and doing exterior work to keep pests at bay — but have not focused any major repairs . Doug Dougherty, of the Seaside School District, shows the conditions at Gearhart Elementary School in 2016. There has also been ongo- ing maintenance on building systems — boiler and water heater work are the most recent, Jim Henry, the build- ing project manager for the school district, said . “Admittedly I’m not that familiar with Gearhart Ele- mentary School, but the ‘crumbling schools’ titles have my attention,” Henry said in reference to 2016 news stories. “Given the age of the schools and coastal location it’s not surprising. It’s not unusual for pre bond articles — these are Sep- tember and October 2016 — to highlight the worst-case scenarios to bolster voter support.” The Gearhart campus sits on 8.4 acres one block west of the intersection of U.S. High- way 101 and Pacifi c Way . Boys and Girls Club abruptly closes in Long Beach Parents are left scrambling By ALYSSA EVANS Chinook Observer BIRTHS Oct. 7, 2019 CHRISTENSEN, Bri- anna and Ryan, of Astoria, a boy, Cole Ripath Chris- tensen, born at Colum- bia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. Older sister is Rhiannon Christensen. Grandparents are Dawn and Troy Malcolm, Clan- cie Adams and Terry Christensen, all of Astoria. Sept. 16, 2019 GAUTHIER, Tanya, and KOONS, Rocky, of Astoria, a boy, Byrson R. Koons, born at Colum- bia Memorial Hospital. Grandparents are Phil and Kari Gauthier, of Astoria, Julie Smith-Koons and Russ Koons. MEMORIALS Friday Oct. 25 LENDE, Russell “Russ” Sr. — Graveside service at 1 p.m., Ever- green Cemetery, 33540 Beerman Creek Road in Seaside. Lende, 81, of Seaside, died Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019, in Seaside. Hughes-Ransom Mor- tuary is in charge of the arrangements. Sunday, Oct. 27 MATHRE, Steven Ray “Mathe” — Cel- ebration of life from 1 to 4 p.m., Big Valley Woods Community Cen- ter, 32700 S.E. Leewood Lane in Boring. CORRECTION Position incorrect — Steve Fick was not on the Astoria Planning Commission a decade ago as stated in an A1 story Saturday. He was on a committee working on the Riverfront Vision Plan a decade ago, but served on the Planning Commission prior to that. PUBLIC MEETINGS THURSDAY Sunset Empire Trans- portation District Board, 9 a.m., Astoria Transit Center Conference Room, 900 Marine Drive. Columbia River Estuary Established July 1, 1873 (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Study Taskforce Council, 12 p.m., 818 Commercial Street, Suite 203. Astoria City Council, 7 p.m., work session, City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2019 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective May 1, 2019 MAIL (IN COUNTY) EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$11.25 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 “The main building has classic large classrooms with a large central hallway featuring natural sunlight through countertop-to-ceil- ing glass windows,” Norris & Stevens, co-representing the school district with Pop- kin Real Estate, wrote in a description of the property . “The four outer buildings are staged around the main build- ing for specialty classrooms.” Listed at $1.9 million, the campus offers workout facilities with a full gymna- sium, plus covered basket- ball courts outside. Baseball, soccer and softball fi elds and two bark-chipped outdoor play areas offer recreational opportunities. Since the early 2000s, Gearhart fi refi ghters have asked the city to replace the fi re station , a building con- structed in 1958 considered unsafe in an earthquake or tsunami. A 2006 bond mea- sure for a new public safety building failed at the polls. Gearhart’s Jack Zimmer- man would like to see the city reconsider the school as a possibility for the proposed Gearhart Fire Station, now targeted at what is known as the High Point site on North Marion. “At this point in time the Gearhart school has become, in my opinion, an increasing catalyst dividing the commu- nity between the proposed fi re station and the school’s future,” Zimmerman wrote in a guest column for the Sea- side Signal . City Administrator Chad Sweet said the city’s fi re- house committee looked at the school as a potential site and knocked it off the table as an option. “It was not consid- ered because its elevation is 17 feet — our current station is at 27 feet.” The land is close to the aquifer, making the location susceptible to subsidence, Sweet said. “During winter storms the area fl oods in part because of the small creek to the east of the property,” he said. “These are many of the same reasons the school district is mov- ing the school out. The pub- lic would lose trust in its city offi cials if they put a fi re sta- tion in such a location.” LONG BEACH, Wash. — Starting Friday, Jen Downing, a mother of four, will be left to fi gure out Plan B for child care. Downing and several other parents are directly impacted by a last-minute closure of the Long Beach Peninsula Boys and Girls Club. Last week , the club announced on its Facebook page that it would perma- nently close on Thursday. The decision has left parents scrambling. “This is a big hit. How am I supposed to work if I need to pick up my kids at 2:45 p.m.?” Downing said. “I don’t know what to do.” A second child care option isn’t all parents are looking for after the club’s announcement. Parents want answers. “If you didn’t have social media or word of mouth, you’d have no idea this is happening,” said Michelle Binion, a mother of two and Ocean Beach School Dis- trict b oard d irector. “When was the meet- ing? Where are the minutes? As a school board member, I know everything should be transparent and docu- mented,” she said. When contacted about the upcoming closure, Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Jennifer Magneson was only willing to answer questions via email. Mag- NOW TAKING ! ORDERS Mya Cunningham, 12, poses with money she is donating to create an after-school program for students. neson didn’t specify when the club’s board made the decision. “The b oard decided to close the club after all known options to secure the necessary funds to continue safely running the programs were exhausted,” she said. The club’s annual bud- get is $191,000, Magneson said. She was unable to pro- vide any estimate on how much money the club needs to operate. “Our goal is to secure funds to sustain ongoing club operations,” Magneson said. Magneson and others on the club’s board asked for community donations in the Oct. 9 edition of the Chi- nook Observer. Donations received by the club, as well as membership fees paid by parents, won’t be refunded, Magneson said. Club employees also won’t receive severance pay. “Did you let us pay your last payroll knowing this would happen?” Bin- NEW VESSEL CONSTRUCTION 48’-55’ STEEL JENSEN DESIGN • TUNA/CRAB NEW LINE 18’-24’ MARINE PLY/GLASS OCEAN GOING SEA SKIFFS TRUCKABLE TUGS/ BARGES ion questioned. “Where are the kids going to go? The community deserves an explanation.” “We are doing every- thing possible to fi nd the resources needed to con- tinue to provide our mem- bers with a positive and sus- tainable place for them to go after school each day,” Mag- neson said. Yet many parents offered differing thoughts. Jennifer Burr, a single mom, uses the club. She said club staff aren’t answering any questions. “The one-week notice seems so rash,” she said. “It’s disturbing they’re giv- ing no answers.” Burr was able to get a spot at Peninsula Church Center for her child. “I got a slot but can that day care take on 70 kids? Probably not,” she said. “I don’t know what else to do. I wouldn’t be able to work without child care.” The church center has room for about three more children, said Lor- raine Brown, the child care director. Kelly Frech, owner of Blue Crab Graphics, made T-shirts for the club until former club director Allie Bair left the organization in March. Since Bair’s depar- ture, Frech hasn’t heard any- thing from the club. “It doesn’t seem like there was any effort to fund- raise,” Frech said. “This doesn’t happen overnight. They’re one of the most supported groups on the peninsula. How did this slip through without any effort to stop it?” Frech, and many oth- ers, said they’d be willing to donate to keep the program running. Many parents also said they’d be willing to pay higher fees if it would help the club. P arents pay $50 per child, per year. The price is twice as high as previous years. Low-income families aren’t required to pay the annual fee. When Mya Cunning- ham, 12, learned about the club’s upcoming closure, she wanted to help save the club. Cunningham gathered her summer clam-raking earnings and a rose she’d received on her 11th birth- day. After attaching a note stating “I love BGC,” Cun- ningham gave the money and rose to her mom, Katie, for the club. Mya’s generos- ity may be part of an effort that leads to a replacement for the Boys and Girls Club. Since Mya’s efforts, res- idents gathered to start a fund for another after-school program. The fund is named “The Martha and Mya After- school Fund.” The name honors both Mya and Mar- tha Murfi n, who founded the Coastal Alliance for Youth, which later became the Boys and Girls Club. Since the fund went pub- lic on Monday, over $6,000 has been raised. The fund, which is managed by the South Pacifi c County Com- munity Foundation, needs to reach $100,000 before being operable. “Last Friday, we had a genesis of people getting together, asking what do we do and how do we do this,” said Tiffany Turner, who brought the group together. “We got together to make sure people’s money is safeguarded.” Turner and her husband, Brady, are co-owners of Adrift Hospitality. She also serves on the Ocean Beach s chool b oard . If the fund doesn’t reach $100,000, money will be reimbursed to donors. CHEERS TO 50 years 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration MODERN CONSTRUCTION COMPUTER ASSISTED DRAWINGS WE WILL BE GLAD TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR NEXT BOAT. DAVE / NELSON COLUMBIA RIVER MARINE CONSTRUCTION 15yrs Experience • 360-642-4564 and NELSON’S MARINE SERVICE 40yrs Experience • 360-642-4672 e-mail: mlat@willapabay.org • fax: 360-642-0210 Edwin & Judy Fisher Sunday • October 27, 2019 1 to 4 p.m. Olney Grange Hall • Highway 202 Luncheon served • No gifts please For questions call: 503-325-1288
