Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 2019)
A6 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2019 2019: State forest entomologists plan to monitor spruce aphids outbreak overturned the murder convictions of a Sea- side man who was found guilty of killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter, ruling that bite-mark testimony should not have been allowed as evidence at his trial. Randy Lee Roden was sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison in 2016 after a jury found him guilty of murder by abuse, felony mur- der, manslaughter, assault and criminal mis- treatment in the death of Evangelina Wing and the abuse of her two brothers. A re trial is scheduled for January 2021. Continued from Page A5 Meanwhile, the Port of Astoria, represen- tatives of Astoria Warehousing, and other property owners worried about how new rules could restrict their plans. In October , the City Council settled on tighter restric- tions on what can be developed in the area near the Astoria Bridge . Waldorf Hotel Homelessness Offi cials in Warrenton struggled with how to address an increasingly visible home- less population and extensive illegal camps around the North Coast Business Park and elsewhere. Grocery Outlet A d eveloper submitted plans to build a Grocery Outlet next door to the new Asto- ria Co+op on Marine Drive. At the same time, a mystery group that claimed to repre- sent locals but that The Astorian found was tied to other regional campaigns against sim- ilar types of projects launched a social media campaign against the proposal. The Design Review Commission shot down Grocery Outlet’s application over con- cerns about access to the store off Marine Drive. The d eveloper appealed the decision in October and a new hearing in front of the City Council will take place in January. In Seaside, the Planning Commission gave its unanimous OK in March for a new 18,000-square-foot Grocery Outlet. A 175-foot-long “turn pocket” along U.S. Highway 101 southbound into Avenue N will satisfy the state Department of Transporta- tion and the Planning Commission’s require- ment for a left-turn lane. The turn pocket will be developed before the new store opens. Vacation rentals Astoria created a new license to curb ille- gal vacation rentals and allow people who offer legal rentals a clear path forward. But opinions were mixed. Some hosts said the city’s new process is expensive and makes it diffi cult for them to turn a profi t. But city offi - cials and staff say a new system was needed to better track rentals and ensure local taxes Timber sale U.S. Forest Service The spruce aphid is a source of concern for trees on the North Coast. are being paid and protect neighborhoods. In Seaside, the city agreed that fees for vacation rentals will jump to $500 to pay for a new code enforcement offi cer. Nationally, cities have struggled with how to ensure vacation rentals are following the rules. Developmental disabilities Clatsop County gave up its oversight role over intellectual and developmental disabil- ities, shifting the responsibility for people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and epilepsy entirely to the state. Starting in July, the state Department of Human Services began contracting directly with Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare, a pri- vate nonprofi t, to provide services and work with adult foster homes, group homes and supported living to help people in need. The Astorian reported in February that the state nearly pulled the county’s contract last fall after investigations into abuse and neglect at adult foster homes uncovered a troubling lack of oversight. Hammond Marina Warrenton offi cials fi nalized a transfer of the Hammond Marina from federal to city ownership . The transfer was years in the making. With the fi nal paperwork in hand, the city can secure funding for much-needed improvements and proceed with plans to dredge the marina. Mayor Henry Balensifer and city commis- sioners believe an improved marina will help revitalize downtown Hammond. The marina has long been popular with fi shermen, pro- viding a convenient launch site during the Buoy 10 recreational salmon fi shery. Convention center In June 2018, the Seaside Civic and Con- vention Center kicked off its $15 million ren- ovation and expansion project with a ground- breaking ceremony. Fifteen months later, Wishing Everyone a wonderful NEW YEAR! DESTINATION TRAILERS TRUCK CAMPER / TOY HAULERS TRAVEL TRAILER / 5TH WHEEL NEW SHOP! LARGER BAYS • MORE TECH’s 1-5 Exit 36 • Kelso, WA www.UNEEKRV.com 800-248-6335 CELEBRATING 41 YEARS! 1978 - 2019 A lack of low-income and workforce housing remains a concern for the Asto- ria City Council, but this year the city could point to the success of one recent project. This summer, Innovative Housing, a Port- land-based nonprofi t, began renovation work on the historic Waldorf Hotel, also known as the Merwyn. The building, sandwiched between City Hall and the Astoria L ibrary on Duane Street, will eventually be transformed into a 40-unit apartment building priced for the workforce. Right on the Freeway - Right on the Price the center’s general manager Russ Vanden- berg welcomed residents, visitors and dig- nitaries to a ribbon-cutting and reopening celebration. The expansion, geared to meeting the needs of larger clients, brings upgrades to ballrooms, offi ces, the lobby, lighting, stor- age and more. The facility grew from 46,000 square feet to 55,000 square feet, an increase of nearly 19%. The renovation and expansion is fi nance by an increase in the city’s lodging tax from 8% to 10%. New co-op The Astoria Co+op opened its new store in December in the Mill Pond neighborhood. The space is signifi cantly larger than the grocery’s old location on Exchange Street. Cannery Pier sold The Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa, the late Robert “Jake” Jacob’s iconic project over the Columbia River, was sold to Vancouver, Washington-based Vesta Hospitality. The sale closed after Jacob’s estate settled issues with a crumbling dock and an oil spill in 2018. Murder trial A homeless couple, Christian Wilkins and Adeena Copell, were accused of killing Howard Vinge, 71, of Newport, inside his RV in September 2016. After dumping his body down an embank- ment along U.S. Highway 30 east of Asto- ria, they took his RV and a sedan. Wilkins pleaded guilty to all charges moments before opening statements at the trial in May. Copell proceeded with the trial and was convicted . Wilkins and Copell will both serve a min- imum of 25 years in prison. Murder convictions overturned In March, the Oregon Court of Appeals After pushback from residents, property owners and other concerned citizens about impacts to water quality, the state announced in September it would delay the Norriston Heights timber sale on land near Arch Cape. Spruce aphids Spruce aphids were implicated in the ter- rible appearance of many Sitka spruce in communities along the Oregon C oast . The infestation was apparent on Washington state’s Long Beach Peninsula, as well. While established trees can weather an attack by these small pests, state forest ento- mologists plan to monitor the outbreak and set sticky traps on some public and private lands in 2020. The effects of climate change are expected to exacerbate pest problems. Aphid populations boom during mild win- ters and drought has been another source of stress for trees across the state since 2012. Looting Looters dug out a protected archaeologi- cal site at Lewis and Clark National Histor- ical Park in March, using metal detectors to fi nd and remove historic artifacts. Elk A group of state wildlife managers, local governments and other stakeholders spent the year meeting with representatives of Oregon Solutions to look at ways to solve elk and human confl icts in Gearhart and Warrenton. The project received a designation from Gov. Kate Brown in the spring, opening the door for state funding and boosting the pri- ority of the work. Elk populations appear to have grown around the two cities, with more and more encounters with the large animals in urban areas. In May , a cow elk and her calf were relocated after the cow charged cars and peo- ple, protecting her calf. The incident led the state to formalize and streamline how wild- life managers in the area should respond to reports of aggressive elk. Edward Stratton, Katie Frankowicz, Nicole Bales and R.J. Marx contributed to this report. Est. 1987 ANNUAL JANUARY SALE Jan 2-11 % 20 off Jan 12-21 25 % off Jan 31 st 35 %off 1 DAY ONLY Jan 22-30 30 %off ADDITIONAL MARKDOWNS ON CLEARANCE 1116 Commercial, Astoria, OR (503)325-5720 Follow us on Facebook & Instagram EXCLUDES FOOD, CONSIGNMENTS, LAYAWAY. LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND
