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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2019)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019 IN BRIEF Ecola State Park closed for hazard tree removal Colin Murphey/ The Astorian Ecola State Park is closed for repair work. Ecola State Park will be closed Tuesday through Thurs- day while crews remove hazard trees along the park’s entrance. Park rangers have identifi ed several dead, diseased or unsta- ble trees. The Oregon Parks and Rec- reation Department has hired Tillamook-based Whitehead Reforestation for $7,000 to complete the project. — The Astorian R.J. Marx/The Astorian Veterans in Seaside on Saturday marked the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. DEATHS Dec. 7, 2019 DUNN, Muriel C., 81, of Warrenton, died in Warrenton. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. Dec. 6, 2019 STAECKER, Erica G., 92, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. Astoria mayor hails ‘courage’ shown at Pearl Harbor Event took place in Seaside on Saturday MEMORIALS Saturday, Dec. 14 BAKER, Amy Sue — Remembrance gathering from 1 to 4 p.m., the Lau- relhurst Club, 3721 S.E. Ankeny St. in Portland. LENDE, Dr. Rus- sell M. “Russ” — Cel- ebration of life from 3 to 5 p.m., Bob Chisolm Community Center, 1225 Avenue A in Seaside. BIRTHS Nov. 25, 2019 COPE, Kelly and Brendan, of Astoria, a boy, Toivo Alexander Cope, born at Colum- bia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. Grandparents are Steve and Becky Roman, Kathie Cope and Tyrone Cope, all of Astoria. Nov. 16, 2019 KNUTSEN, Sarah and Ross, of Warren- ton, a boy, Maverik Ross Knutsen, born at Colum- bia Memorial Hospi- tal . Grandparents are Bob and Liz Knutsen, Tim Malinen and Sue Larsen. ON THE RECORD Criminal trespass • Mitchell Simonsen, 35, of Hammond, was arrested Saturday at the AutoZone in Warrenton for criminal trespass in the second degree. Harassment • Samantha Ann Brown, 36, of Seaside, was arrested Saturday on Hamlet Road in Seaside for harassment. DUII • Ricky Criss, 33, of Oregon City, was arrested Sunday in Seaside for driving under the infl u- ence of intoxicants and reckless driving. His blood alcohol content was 0.18%. Police say Criss was spinning his vehi- cle in circles in an empty parking lot at the Seaside Outlet, which caused his engine to catch on fi re. The fi re also caused dam- age to a Tesla charging station in the parking lot. • Cameron King, 20, of Seaside, was arrested Sat- urday on S.W. Birch Court in Warrenton for DUII, minor in possession of alcohol and hit-and-run. • Kenneth Nielsen, 72, of Hammond, was arrested Saturday on Lake Drive at the Hammond viewpoint for DUII, hit- and-run and reckless driv- ing. His blood alcohol content was 0.17%. PUBLIC MEETINGS TUESDAY Clatsop County Planning Commission, 10 a.m., Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria. Lewis & Clark Fire De- partment Board, 6 p.m., main fi re station, 34571 U.S. Highway 101 Business. Warrenton City Commis- sion, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. Clatsop Community College Board, 6:30 p.m., Columbia Hall Room 219, 1650 Lexington Ave., Astoria. Astoria Planning Commis- sion, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Gearhart City Council and Planning Commission, 6:30 p.m., work session on county housing study, City Hall, 698 Pacifi c Way. WEDNESDAY Astoria School Board, 5:45 p.m., work session, 7 p.m. regular meeting, Capt. Robert Gray School third-fl oor boardroom, 785 Alameda Ave. Wickiup Water District Board, 6:30 p.m., 92648 Svensen Market Road, Svensen. Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, 6:00 p.m., Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria THURSDAY Seaside Convention Center Commission, 5 p.m., Con- vention Center, 415 First Ave. Gearhart Planning Com- mission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 698 Pacifi c Way. Warrenton Planning Com- mission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. By R.J. MARX The Astorian SEASIDE — Astoria Mayor Bruce Jones, a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain, provided a remembrance at the 78th anniversary of Pearl Harbor commemoration at the Seaside Civic and Con- vention Center on Saturday morning. Jones honored the mem- ory of local Pearl Harbor survivors Spurgeon D. Keeth and William “Bill” Thomas, who died over the past few years . Thomas was the cata- lyst for Seaside’s Pearl Har- bor Memorial Bridge, chris- tened in 2000. “We honor the military and civilian dead,” Jones said. “We honor the thou- sands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as civil- ians and volunteers, who survived the attack and then demonstrated remark- able resiliency, courage and teamwork not only fi ght- ing back, but fi ghting count- less terrible fi res, rescuing trapped victims from burn- ing ships, from the water, and from under debris; per- forming emergency medical care to terribly wounded and burned victims, even when still under attack. “‘Remember Pearl Har- (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 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 offi cer Luke Thomas. There was a welcome greeting by Kim Wright of American Legion Post 99. Dozens joined the cere- mony , followed by the toss- ing of a wreath from the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge into the Necanicum River. “It’s gratifying to see so many people to take time out of their morning to come out on their Saturday and pay their respects to veter- ans of World War II, Viet- nam and Korea,” Jones said afterward . The remembrance is a reminder of “the signifi cance of an attack on our country and what that means in terms of protecting our nation in the future,” he added. State wants more money to help defendants with mental illness By SAM STITES Oregon Capital Bureau Reforms to Oregon’s sys- tem for dealing with peo- ple unfi t to stand trial aren’t working as planned, with judges challenged to fi nd local treatment options for those they used to send to the Oregon State Hospital. As a result, the state hos- pital has not seen a sig- nifi cant reduction in the number of patients need- ing hospital-level care. And mental health advocates say legislation passed earlier this year inappropriately left in place language that con- tinues to stigmatize people needing public help. In recent years, Oregon judges have sent more and more patients to the state hospital for treatment to regain competency to help in their own defense against criminal charges. From 2017 to 2018, there was a 15% increase in patients sent to the state hospital , from 610 to 719. So far in 2019, there have been 633 patients found unfi t to stand trial sent to the facility . Under legislation passed this year, judges were asked to fi nd local treatment for people deemed unfi t to stand trial, reserving hospital-level care for those found to be dangerous to themselves or others. In the 12 months leading up to Senate Bill 24, the state hospital received on average 59 aid and assist patients per month. In the four months following the law’s passage, the hospital received an aver- age of 54 per month. While mental health pro- fessionals agree that treating patients in their own com- munities leads to better out- comes, many counties don’t have the ability to provide treatment, forcing judges to either keep defendants jailed — violating their civil rights — or release them to the streets. A work group of 50 indi- viduals representing the courts, public defenders, prosecutors, mental health advocates and behavioral health professionals is now working on fi xes to ensure mentally ill criminal defen- dants get the help they need. One of those members is Multnomah County Judge Nan Waller. She recently addressed lawmakers on the legislative joint Judiciary Committee on what’s being done to fi x issues created by the reform measures. “All the players to the aid and assist process have one goal, and that is to make sure that people get the treat- ment we’re obligated to pro- vide them in the most appro- Motorcyclist struck by vehicle in crash on Highway 101 Established July 1, 1873 bor’ became a rallying cry for our nation,” Jones continued. “The resilience, determina- tion, courage and resolve demonstrated by young men like Bill Thomas and Spur- geon Keeth and thousands of others on Dec. 7, 1941, stood as a model for all Americans from that day forward.” Saturday’s remembrance came after a proclamation by the city honoring the victims and veterans of the Japa- nese attack. “On that day, life changed in America, and the course of history was altered forever,” the proclamation states. Guests included Jones, Seaside Mayor Jay Barber, pastor Dave Barnet and Clat- sop County veterans service The Astorian A motorcyclist was seri- ously injured after being struck by a vehicle Friday on U.S. Highway 101 and Patriot Way. A driver reportedly stopped to turn left into Camp Rilea before turning and crashing into a motorcy- clist traveling southbound. The driver told police he did not see the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist was seriously injured and taken to a Portland area hospital. The highway was closed to one southbound lane during the investigation. JOIN US IN THE CONVERSATION ON FACEBOOK TAKE PART AT FACEBOOK.COM/DAILYASTORIAN Statesman Journal The state wants more criminal defendants with mental illness treated in local communities instead of the Oregon State Hospital. priate setting. Nobody wants people languishing in jail. Nobody wants the capacity issues at the hospital to get out of hand. Nobody wants mentally ill people on our streets,” Waller testifi ed. According to Waller, her court time includes dealing with individuals who suf- fer from signifi cant mental health issues, many of whom have committed misdemean- ors that often relate to pov- erty and homelessness. She said the Oregon Judicial Department is hiring six new employees to collect data to identify the gap is between the services people need and what’s available. Researchers will report on the numbers of cases where a defendant is unfi t to proceed or pending an evaluation for fi tness, evaluations ordered, those transferred to the state hospital , number of in-cus- tody review hearings held, number of cases dismissed due to a defendant’s lack of fi tness and more. “As somebody who every week has to make decisions about releasing people from jail who do not have any place to go, there is nothing more disheartening than to say to somebody, ‘Do you have a coat? Is there any- one you might call? Is there any place you have to go?’” Waller testifi ed. “I have released people because we haven’t had any place and not met hospital-level of care. That is unfortunate and not as a society what we should be doing.” Most stakeholders agree that the recent legislation was just one step to address Oregon’s mental health issues. “We all realized this bill had some big missing pieces, so the crux of this work group is to look at some of those big cracks and fi gure out how to ensure there’s a smooth, effi cient and consti- tutional process,” said Emily Cooper, legal counsel for Disability Rights Oregon. Pedestrian seriously injured after hit-and-run in Seaside The Astorian SEASIDE — A pedestrian was seriously injured after being hit by a car Saturday night in the area of 12th Ave- nue and N. Holladay Drive in Seaside. Erick Yetzael Mendez Lopez, 22, was arrested for assault in the third degree, driving under the infl uence of intoxicants, reckless driv- ing, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and two counts of failure to perform the duties of a driver. His blood alcohol content was 0.15%. Police say Mendez Lopez was driving northbound on N. Holladay Drive and caused signifi cant damage after hit- ting a stopped vehicle. Men- dez Lopez continued north- bound and then struck Justin Powell, 36, who was walking across the street through the intersection. Powell was taken to Columbia Memorial Hos- pital in Astoria with serious injuries. Police say Mendez Lopez fl ed the scene and was found walking on 15th Avenue between Holladay and Roos- evelt Drive.
