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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 29, 2020)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2020 IN BRIEF Recreational clamming open on the coast Recreational razor clamming is open on the coast from the Columbia River to the north jetty of the Siu- slaw River in Florence after domoic acid dropped to acceptable levels. The marine biotoxin remains at elevated levels, and clamming is closed, from Florence to the California border. State seeks appointee to fi shery management council The state is looking for a candidate to serve on the Pacifi c Fishery Management Council. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is accepting nominations for an at-large seat held by Brad Pettinger with the Oregon Trawl Commission. The 14-member council manages roughly 119 spe- cies of groundfi sh, pelagic species such as sardines and anchovies and highly migratory species such as tuna and swordfi sh off the Oregon, Washington state and California coasts. All nominations are sent to the governor’s offi ce, which then sends the names of at least three candi- dates to the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Department of Commerce for consideration. Pet- tinger may be reappointed to the seat. The deadline to submit an application is March 6 and the three-year council term begins Aug. 10. Appointees must pass an extensive FBI background check. People interested in being considered or nomi- nating another person should contact Jessica Watson at Jessica.L.Watson@state.or.us or Caren Braby at Car- en.E.Braby@state.or.us. — The Astorian JAZZ HANDS DEATHS Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian In Brief Death Feb. 26, 2020 HEDIGER, Patricia “Pat,” 74, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Hughes-Ransom Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements. BIRTH Feb. 22, 2020 SNEDEKER, Tiffany, and HORTON, Derrick, of Birth Warrenton, a girl, Khloe Ann Marie Horton, born at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. Grandparents are Malissa Matthews and Curtis Davidson and Craig and Angie Horton. ON THE RECORD Sodomy • Jonathan David Wyatt, 37, of Warrenton, was indicted Wednesday for sodomy in the fi rst degree and sexual abuse in the fi rst degree. Assault • Jeremy Allan Jacques, 48, was arrested Thursday on W. Marine Drive in Astoria for assault in the fourth degree domestic violence felony. Burglary • Autumn Grace Brelin, 23, of Astoria, was indicted Wednes- day for burglary in the fi rst degree, theft in the fi rst degree, possession of a stolen vehicle, unau- thorized use of a vehi- cle, identity theft and two counts of theft in the sec- ond degree. Theft • Timothy Dean Yaa- kola, 48, of Warrenton, was arrested Wednesday at Costco in Warrenton for theft in the fi rst degree and criminal mischief in the third degree. Disorderly conduct • Brett Bane Mel- lott, 31, of Astoria, was arrested Thursday on 12th Street and Duane Street in Astoria for dis- orderly conduct in the second degree. DUII • Victoria C. Scar- borough, 23, of Ocean Park, Washington, was arrested Wednesday on Marine Drive and 11th Street in Astoria for driv- ing under the infl uence of intoxicants. On the Record PUBLIC MEETINGS MONDAY Astoria City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. TUESDAY Seaside Community Center Commission, 10 a.m., Bob Chisholm Community Center, 1225 Avenue A. Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, 12 p.m., work session, 800 Exchange St., Suite 430, Astoria. Clatsop Care Health District Board, 5 p.m., Clatsop Care Health and Rehabilitation, 646 16th St., Astoria. Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District, 5:15 p.m., workshop, Bob Chisholm Community Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Port of Astoria Commission, 5:30 p.m., 10 Pier 1, Suite 209. Seaside Library Board, 5:30 p.m., 1131 Broadway. Miles Crossing Sanitary Sewer District Board, 6 p.m., 34583 U.S. Highway 101 Business. Seaside Planning Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. PUBLIC MEETINGS 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 TOP: John Dover busts out a solo on stage of the Liberty Theatre while performing with Astoria High School band and choir students on Wednesday night. Dover, a professional musician based out of Portland, taught clinics to the local music students before the performance. ABOVE LEFT: Saxophonists from the high school’s band play a series of jazzy tunes at the free concert. ABOVE RIGHT: Senior Kajsa Jackson sings with the Port City Singers, Astoria High School’s jazz choir. Small farmers voice support for cap and trade A step to protect natural resources By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press SALEM — As Oregon lawmakers clash over a con- troversial bill to curb the state’s greenhouse gas emis- sions, Mimi Casteel says cli- mate change is already pos- ing a major identity crisis for winegrowers. Casteel grew up on her family’s vineyard in the Wil- lamette Valley, home of inter- nationally recognized p inot noir. She remembers har- vest usually happened around October, with the area’s rela- tively mild weather allowing more time for grapes to ripen and add layers of distinctive berry-like fl avors. Over the years, Casteel said that climatic window has begun to shift. Sum- mers are becoming hotter and drier, forcing growers to pick grapes earlier in the season when sugars — and thus alco- hol content — are higher but fl avors have not yet come into balance. In short, Oregon p inot noir might no longer taste like Oregon p inot noir. “We just established our- selves a world-class wine region,” Casteel said. “We’re looking at a hard reality where that is not what we have anymore.” In 2008, Casteel started her own vineyard, Hope Well Wine, in the Eola-Amity Hills west of Salem. She is one of more than 270 small farmers, ranchers and forestland own- ers who signed on in support of Senate Bill 1530 — the cap-and-trade proposal — through the Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network, or OrCAN. The bill is now stalled in the Legislature as both state House and Senate Repub- licans staged boycotts of the short session this week, demanding that cap and trade go to the voters. OrCAN Director Megan Kemple rejected that notion, saying the bill is comprehen- sive with extensive input from all sides. “No bill has had this much work and this much public process,” Kemple said. “The Legislature is where policy like this should be made.” Opponents of the bill, including the Oregon Farm Bureau and #TimberUnity, a grassroots group of farm- ers and loggers whose mem- bers have staged large rallies outside the Capitol, argue that SB 1530 will raise fuel and energy prices, crippling agri- cultural producers who cannot pass the increased costs along to consumers. A statewide cap-and-trade system would also have a negligible impact on cli- mate change, critics add. Ore- gon generated just 0.13% of global carbon dioxide emis- sions in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency. But Casteel said the bill contains a number of compro- mises intended to protect rural communities and trade-ex- posed businesses, and is a necessary step toward protect- ing natural resources. “This would facilitate the transition toward cli- mate-smart farming,” she said. “The smartest, most responsible thing we can do right now is throw our full and honest support behind farmers who can protect this region.” Front lines Under cap and trade, the state sets a hard cap on green- house gas emissions and charges companies for allow- ances to exceed the limit. The cap gradually lowers over time, which is meant to encourage the companies to adopt more climate-friendly Makeup of species Sarah Deumling, forest manager for Zena Forest Prod- ucts in Salem, said the com- pany owns one of the largest intact remaining forests in the Willamette Valley, though cli- mate change is beginning to change the makeup of species in the woods. Deumling said drought has led to a 10% to 20% loss of Douglas fi r trees that had to be removed and replanted with white oak and cedar. “I’m not the only one who has fi rs dying,” Deum- ling said. “Some people have cedars dying that wouldn’t normally be dying. ... If you put that out on a trajectory, the costs can be huge.” Deumling admits she is not certain whether cap and trade is the best solution for managing Oregon’s green- house gases, but she said pro- ducers can no longer afford to wait years for someone to do something about it. “We’re trying to make a living. It’s not easy,” she said. “We better do all we can to prepare for and get a handle on climate change.” $40 ticket includes: Pick of the Week 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. Thomas COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2020 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Adult American Shorthair As magical as any white rabbit, Thomas will bring both whimsey and elegance to your home 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 (Read about the pet of the week on Facebook ) Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 to upgrade its irrigation sys- tems, installing more effi cient drip lines and resurrecting an old 1940s-era water stor- age pond. He said the farm is also shifted toward planting more deep-rooted perennial plants that can better with- stand drought, versus shal- low-rooted annuals. Wildfi re smoke is another serious issue, Starr said, chok- ing skies and impacting cus- tomer turnout at local farm- ers’ markets. He said the farm has experienced a 10% drop in market revenue during smoky summers, which adds up to thousands of dollars of lost revenue. “It is stressful,” he said. “It just feels like we’re in this ecosystem here that’s a little bit on edge.” Volunteer Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. practices and technology. Money collected would go into a state Climate Invest- ment Fund with specifi c allo- cation levels for adaptation projects, including 25% for wildfi re mitigation and 25% for natural and working lands to adopt measures such as tree planting, cover crops, no-till farming, riparian buffers and capturing dairy gas to create renewable energy. Casteel, who built Hope Well Wine on 80 acres of reclaimed property, said these practices will ultimately determine whether Oregon is able to maintain its ecological resilience. “It’s really farming where we make our greatest impact,” Casteel said. “We are on the front lines (of climate change).” Other farmers who support cap and trade say the costs of doing nothing now are much higher than the cost of waiting until climate change creates irreparable harm. In the Applegate Valley of s outhern Oregon, Taylor Starr, executive director and farm manager at the nonprofi t White Oak Farm and Educa- tion Center, said the last 10 years have seen increasing wildfi res and lower snowpack in the Siskiyou Mountains, creating a lack of water fl ows later in the season. Two years ago, Starr said the farm had its irrigation water shut off in early July, about a month earlier than usual. White Oak Farm grows and sells a variety of pro- duce and contracts with sev- eral seed companies. The cen- ter also receives grants and contributions to support its programs. “We’ve really had to adjust our scheduling,” Starr said. “When things are so uncer- tain, it makes that planning really challenging.” Starr estimates the farm has invested about $10,000 C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER E MERALD 1315 SE 19 Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat H EIGHTS A PARTMENTS www.dogsncats.org Sponsored By th UnWined An intimate wine tasting event previewing wine that will be available at the 2020 Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival. - - - - - 10 wine tastes 2020 tasting glass live music appetizers access to 140+ wines and more! Tickets available at the Chamber office or oldoregon.com. Saturday, March 7 This event is held in downtown Astoria at the Liberty Theatre’s McTavish Room and Paulson Pavilion. Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce 111 West Marine Drive, Astoria · (503) 325-6311
