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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2021)
»INSIDE THURSDAY MAY 13 2021 ASTORIA AUTHOR RELEASES CHILDREN’S BOOK LET’S GO FOR A WA LK PAGE 4 ENJOY DRINKS AND DESSERT AT HOME RIA’S EXPLORE ASTO TRAIL PIPELINE ROAD PAGES 6 AND 7 PAGE 8 $ 200 CASH DRAWINGS! 148TH YEAR, NO. 136 DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 $1.50 CORONAVIRUS County renews focus on disaster preparedness By NICOLE BALES The Astorian W ith a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsu- nami on the horizon , Clatsop County has taken steps to protect resi- dents and tourists from catastrophe. The county has completed the Tsu- nami Wayfi nding Project, which inven- toried evacuation signs and identifi ed where additional signs were needed. The county is also planning to relo- cate its public works facility out of the tsunami inundation zone — an initia- tive formerly known as the Resiliency Project, which had included estab- lishing alternative evacuation routes around vulnerable parts of U.S. High- way 101 and U.S. Highway 30. The alternative routes were put on the back burner, however, after back- lash from residents in Lewis and Clark who live along a road that the county identifi ed as an option . In 2019, the county received a trans- portation and growth management grant through the state to develop a tsunami evacuation facility improve- ment plan. The plan will focus on tying walking and cycling trails into evacua- tion routes and identifying gaps. Parametrix, a consulting group in Portland leading the project, presented the plan and solicited feedback from the public during a virtual open house last week. “We’re talking about a very serious and substantial event that could occur tomorrow or 200 years from now,” Ryan Farncomb, a senior planner and project manager at Parametrix, said. “So it could be diffi cult to make the case to folks the need for improving evacuation facilities or thinking about this. And so by tying this work to recre- ational facilities — trails which people could use every single day — I think we’re really setting the county up for making improvements in the near term after this plan is done.” Gail Henrikson, the county’s com- High risk level remains Brown sets new threshold for vaccinations By NICOLE BALES The Astorian Photos by Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian ABOVE: Evacuation plans for Fort Stevens State Park are part of the discussion on disaster preparedness. BELOW: Clatsop County hopes to improve evacuation routes to better prepare for an earthquake and tsunami. LEARN MORE People can access a virtual open house and fi ll out an online survey until May 24 at www.ClatsopTEFIP.org munity development director, said the work ties in and can build off eff orts the county’s emergency management staff has completed, like the w ayfi nd- ing p roject and the n atural h azards m it- igation p lan. “We’re really focused on the coastal areas in unincorporated Clat- sop County, but are also looking at the interconnections with the incorporated areas,” Henrikson said. The project is looking at Arch Cape, Clatsop Plains, Fort Stevens State Park and the Miles Crossing and Jeff ers Garden area. “What we did in this initial exer- cise, is we looked at the existing evac- uation system, existing assembly areas — which again are those places that people are supposed to head to during an emergency — and then also looked at a lot of environmental information, including things like where are there streams, rivers and wetlands,” Farn- comb said. “And also, where are there landslides or bridges that are maybe over land of concern. “We looked at all of this informa- tion at once to be able to understand what are the risks to existing evacu- ation routes, what are the opportuni- ties and where are there trails already on the ground that could be used for evacuation.” Farncomb said there is substantial landslide risk in many areas along the coast, as well as liquefaction risk, espe- cially north of Gearhart. “The area of greatest evacuation needs overall is that Clatsop Plains area north of Gearhart all the way to Fort Stevens State Park,” he said. “There are many neighborhoods there that lack east-west access to higher ground.” See Preparedness, Page A6 Clatsop County will remain at high risk for the coronavirus on Friday, along with most other Oregon counties. Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday announced plans to lift most risk level restrictions statewide once 70% of Ore- gonians 16 and older receive their fi rst vac- cine doses against the MORE virus. INSIDE Beginning May 21, County counties will also have reports the option of moving new virus to lower risk once 65% cases • A6 of people 16 and older have received at least one dose. Counties that do not have at least 65% of their popula- tion vaccinated will return to a two-week cycle for evaluating risk . “Thanks to you, Oregon, it looks like we’ve crossed the tipping point of See Risk level, Page A6 SEASIDE Faith leaders focus on homeless Forums planned to discuss options By R.J. MARX The Astorian SEASIDE — Faith leaders came together last week at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center to discuss the city’s rise in homelessness . “We need to learn about what’s going on in our town. W e need to learn from each other,” said City Councilor Tita Montero, an organizer of the event. “And we need to perk up the ideas, because what might work in one town may not work in Seaside. But we aren’t going to know that if we haven’t had the chance to bat that around a little bit.” See Homeless, Page A6 Grace period on rent extended Tenants get more time during pandemic By PETER WONG Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown’s signature awaits a bill that gives ten- ants more time to pay past-due rent stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and protects their future ability to rent. The state House sent Senate Bill 282 to the governor on a 39-17 vote on Tuesday. Tosha Morgan-Platt, who lives in Portland with three children, one of them with disabilities, was among the tenants who submitted testi- mony in favor of the bill. She lost her job during the economic down- turn that resulted from the pandemic more than a year ago, and subse- quent work has not helped her earn enough to eliminate $3,000 in past- due rent. The bill allows Morgan-Platt and others an extended grace period until Feb. 28 — instead of June 30 — to pay past-due rent going back to April 1, 2020. It does not for- give any rent, and it requires rent- ers to be current on payments after July 1. But it would extend until Feb. 28 a moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent during the pandemic. “This is a huge weight off my shoulders and will give me or my landlord enough time to apply for R.J. Marx/The Astorian See Rent, Page A6 State lawmakers gave tenants until February to pay past-due rent.
