A2
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020
IN BRIEF
Park district to seek two-month
middle school purchase extension
SEASIDE — After public comment and a 90-minute
closed executive session, Sunset Empire Park and Rec-
reation District board members authorized executive
director Skyler Archibald to seek a two-month exten-
sion before purchase of Broadway Middle School from
the Seaside School District.
The extension request at Tuesday’s park district
board meeting came after directors received emails, let-
ters and comments from critics of the purchase, includ-
ing more than 30 people in the Facebook group “Trans-
parency for SEPRD Taxpayers.”
“Please stop the speeding train and do some research
before the SEPRD makes a huge decision that could
have a very negative impact on our community,” Mar-
gene Ridout, a former park district board member, said.
The project was rushed, lacked public scrutiny and
comes with potentially high remediation costs, said Tita
Montero, administrator of the Facebook group.
Montero, a City Council member, said she was
speaking as a private citizen.
She questioned if the park district has funds to reme-
diate the 71-year-old building or operating capital to
make loan payments.
“No matter where the money comes from, the tax-
payers are ultimately holding the bag,” Montero said.
She proposed a community-based task force to deter-
mine park district needs.
“My vision is community conversations rather
than confrontations,” Montero said. “My vision is that
SEPRD plays well with the community.”
A RURAL
CHECKUP
New Gearhart Elementary School
owners to keep fi elds open to public
GEARHART — The new owners of Gearhart Ele-
mentary School have responded to calls to keep playing
fi elds open to residents.
After meeting with Mayor-elect Paulina Cockrum
and City Administrator Chad Sweet, Robert Morey, of
Scofi Gearhart LLC, announced Thursday he will pro-
vide parking and temporary access from both north and
south to the more than 3-acre eastern portion of the 8.5-
acre site.
The fi eld has historically been available as play fi elds.
“The western portion of the site will be fenced off
while we work to understand building and site condi-
tions and the goals of the broader Gearhart community,”
Morey said.
State offers information
for people in need
Food, cash and child care assistance is available to
Oregonians who need assistance during the state’s two-
week freeze to combat the coronavirus.
The freeze, intended to stop the rapid spread of the
virus across the state, asks people to stay home and
places restrictions on businesses, including restaurants
and bars.
People who have urgent and ongoing needs for food
assistance can visit needfood.oregon.gov. For informa-
tion about applying for a variety of types of assistance
including domestic violence assistance, visit govstatus.
egov.com/or-dhs-benefi ts.
People can also access information by dialing 2-1-1
from any phone, texting their zip code to 898211, by
emailing help@211info.org, or by visiting 211info.org
or Covid19.211info.org
Older adults or people with disabilities can call
1-855-ORE-2372 or visit www.adrcoforegon.org
While many state Department of Human Services
offi ces remain open for essential business, Oregonians
are encouraged to apply for help online, by email or over
the phone, or to call before coming in. Often an in-per-
son visit is not required to get assistance.
— The Astorian
DEATHS
Nov. 15, 2020
In CAPPS,
Brief
Eva Elvera
“Vera,” 90, of Asto-
ria, died in Astoria.
Deaths
Hughes-Ransom Mor-
tuary is in charge of the
arrangements.
UHL, Gerald Lee,
58, of Kelso, Washing-
ton, formerly of Clatsop
County, died in Kelso.
Hughes-Ransom Mor-
tuary is in charge of the
arrangements.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
MONDAY
Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Board of
Directors, 4 p.m., work session, (electronic meeting).
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., (electronic meeting).
TUESDAY
Astoria Planning Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095
Duane St.
Knappa School District Board, 5:30 p.m., (electronic
meeting).
Warrenton City Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main
Ave.
Seaside Airport Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall,
989 Broadway.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
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Photos by Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
TOP: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan visits Columbia Memorial Hospital.
ABOVE: From left, Chris Laman, director of pharmacy and oncology services at Columbia Memorial; Erik Thorsen, the CEO of the
hospital; and Eric Hargan, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, stand in the lobby of the
CMH-OHSU Knight Cancer Collaborative before a tour of the center.
LEFT: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, left, elbow bumps with Dr. Pehr Hartvigson,
the director of oncology services at Columbia Memorial Hospital, during a tour of the CMH-OHSU Knight Cancer Collaborative
on Monday. Hargan visited Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria and Providence Seaside Hospital leading up to National
Rural Health Day on Thursday. RIGHT: Chris Laman, left, gives U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary
Eric Hargan a tour of the CMH-OHSU Knight Cancer Collaborative.
Dungeness crab season
delayed until mid-December
The Astorian
Oregon’s
commercial
Dungeness crab season will
be delayed until at least
Dec. 16 , fi shery managers
announced Friday.
Testing in November
revealed crabs remain too
low in meat yield. The delay
will allow crabs to fi ll out
with more meat, according
to fi shery managers.
A second round of testing
is scheduled to occur after
Thanksgiving. The results
will determine if the fi sh-
ery will be further delayed.
The coast could be split into
areas with different opening
dates as well.
In September, the Ore-
gon Department of Fish and
Wildlife had eased certain
aspects of the fi shery, includ-
ing meat yield requirements
in some areas, in an effort
to get boats on the water as
early in the season as possi-
ble to avoid the chances of
commercial gear tangling
with passing whales.
The commercial fi shery
traditionally begins Dec.
1, but has been delayed in
recent years for everything
from price negotiations to
high levels of the marine
toxin domoic acid.
So far, domoic acid lev-
els remain at safe levels,
according to the state. But
those in the industry have
worried about what prices
could look like this season
Luke Whittaker/Chinook Observer
Low meat yield prompts delay in Dungeness crab season.
A SECOND ROUND OF TESTING IS SCHEDULED TO
OCCUR AFTER THANKSGIVING. THE RESULTS WILL
DETERMINE IF THE FISHERY WILL BE FURTHER
DELAYED. THE COAST COULD BE SPLIT INTO AREAS
WITH DIFFERENT OPENING DATES AS WELL.
because of the impacts of
the coronavirus pandemic
on the last season.
Industry advocates say it
is not clear how much crab
may be sitting in cold stor-
age, which could depress
buying going into this
season.
The commercial Dunge-
ness fi shery is Oregon’s
most valuable. Despite a
delayed opening in 2019,
the fi shery still brought in
the second highest ex-vessel
value ever — $72.7 million
— and fi shermen landed just
under 20 million pounds of
crab, about 12% over the
10-year average.
The recreational Dunge-
ness fi shery is set to open
Dec. 1 as scheduled in all
areas.