A2
THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2021
IN BRIEF
Astoria requires masks at city
facilities to contain virus
Astoria offi cials are again requiring people to wear
face coverings when in city facilities.
The city had lifted mask restrictions this sum-
mer, but leaders say they are following recommenda-
tions from state and federal health authorities to again
require masks as cases of the coronavirus surge.
The face covering requirement took eff ect Tuesday.
Last week, county government announced people
would need to wear face coverings to conduct in-per-
son business in county buildings.
— The Astorian
Pacifi c County hospitality
employment lags during busy season
LONG BEACH, Wash. — New data shows Pacifi c
County’s hospitality industry is facing a steep labor
shortage this summer.
According to unemployment fi gures released by the
Washington State Employment Security Department,
the number of people employed in the county’s leisure
and hospitality industry in June sat at an estimated 920
people. While the number is up 21.1% from 2020’s pan-
demic-plagued June, it is down 17.9% from June 2019.
Overall, the county’s unemployment rate in June
was preliminarily pegged at 7.4%, up slightly from
May’s revised total of 7.2%.
— Chinook Observer
DEATHS
Aug. 11, 2021
Deaths
SPENCER,
Phil-
lip, 40, of Asto-
ria, died in Seaside.
Hughes-Ransom Mor-
tuary is in charge of the
arrangements.
Aug. 7, 2021
AADAMS, Laurie,
57, of Astoria, died in
Astoria. Hughes-Ransom
Mortuary is in charge of
the arrangements.
SEARLES, Troy, 46,
of Astoria, died in Asto-
ria.
Hughes-Ransom
Mortuary is in charge of
the arrangements.
MEMORIALS
Sunday, Aug. 15
Memorials
STEVENSON, Rose-
mary — Memorial picnic
at 11 a.m., 320 Tennessee
Road in Winlock, Washing-
ton. For information or direc-
tions, call 360-431-8638.
Saturday, Aug. 21
TELEN, Shirley –
Celebration of life from 2
to 5 p.m., Astoria Moose
Lodge, 420 17th St.
ON THE RECORD
Menacing
• Kenneth Lee Par-
kins, 44, of Astoria, was
arrested Friday evening
at Ninth and Astor streets
in Astoria for menacing
and disorderly conduct in
the second degree.
Aggravated
harassment
• Kareem Barkha-
dle, 41, of Tigard, was
indicted July 20 for
aggravated harassment,
attempted
aggravated
harassment, two counts
of attempted assault of a
public safety offi cer and
resisting arrest.
Harassment
• Troy Peppin, 38, of
Seaside, was arrested on
Tuesday night on Daw-
son Road in Gearhart for
two counts of harassment.
Restraining order
• Ashly Lukoszyk, 37,
of Astoria, was arrested
on U.S. Highway 101
Business on Monday
evening for four counts
of violating a restrain-
ing order, one violation
of a release agreement,
resisting arrest, escape in
the third degree and four
counts of contempt of
court.
Theft
• Corey Elizabeth
Jones, 27, of Astoria, was
arrested Sunday after-
noon at Goodwill in War-
renton for theft in the sec-
ond degree. She was also
arrested that day for a
second-degree theft that
occurred May 22, also at
Goodwill.
• Reed Montgomery
Tardif, 26, of Shelton,
Washington, was arrested
Sunday
night
near
Walmart in Warrenton for
theft in the third degree
and criminal trespassing.
• Meggan Breeana
Bartlett, 27, of Astoria,
was arrested on Mon-
day night at Walmart in
Warrenton for theft in the
third degree.
DUII
• Anthony Lopez, 29,
of Astoria, was charged
with driving under the
infl uence of intoxi-
cants, reckless endan-
germent and driving on
a suspended license in
the third degree after a
crash Sunday night in
Mason County, Washing-
ton. Lopez and a juvenile
were taken to Providence
St. Peter Hospital in
Olympia after the crash.
•
Shawna
Marie
Hatchell, 29, of Gear-
hart, was arrested Sun-
day night on Bailey Lane
in Gearhart for driving
under the infl uence of
intoxicants, reckless driv-
ing and failing to perform
the duties of a driver in an
accident involving prop-
erty damage.
On the Record
PUBLIC MEETINGS
THURSDAY
Gearhart Planning Commission, 6 p.m., (electronic
meeting).
Warrenton Planning Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S.
Main Ave.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
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HOBO
The F/V Hobo, a 40-foot wood-hulled recreational vessel,
ran aground Saturday and washed up on Waikiki Beach.
Hardy commercial clam diggers
try to sustain a long tradition
The reward often
comes with risk
By LUKE WHITTAKER
Chinook Observer
WILLAPA BAY, Wash.
— On isolated, shifting spits
in seemingly perpetual fog,
some dig their living from
the sand.
Razor clammers each col-
lected about 110 pounds per
day on average last season,
but diggers are fi nding more
clams and a more favorable
market this year, making for
some memorable days for
the relatively small group
who work the detached Wil-
lapa Spits off the north end of
the Long Beach Peninsula.
“At $3.75 per pound, I’ve
never made more money this
quickly,” said Les Strange,
of Raymond, standing over
a 50-quart cooler of clams.
After averaging $2.20 in
2020, commercial diggers
like Strange are hopeful the
current market demand will
continue.
“That’s pretty much what
I do for a living all year. It’s
back breaking work, but you
get in shape. You get out
what you put into it. You
can’t beat that,” said Strange,
adding that he hoped to dig
250 pounds that day.
In Pacifi c County, the
commercial
harvest
is
allowed only on the Wil-
lapa Spits, located within
the mouth of Willapa Bay.
The sand spits, only acces-
sible by boat, present unique
challenges and opportunities
for commercial diggers each
season. The relatively small
area has abundant clam num-
bers and accounts for an out-
sized portion of the state’s
commercial clamming.
“For the past 10 years,
they’ve accounted for about
35% of the ( commercial)
harvest. Just this little area in
the spits is a pretty big pro-
ducer,” said Zach Forster, a
coastal shellfi sh biologist for
the Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife, during
a patrol of the grounds in late
July.
The reward, however,
doesn’t come without risk.
In order to reach the area,
diggers must arrive by boat,
since it’s illegal to drive on
the beaches leading to where
the sand spits begin. Clam-
mers come on small skiff s,
often relying on GPS plot-
ters to navigate through the
heavy fog that frequently
blankets the area.
“It only occurs on the
detached spits of Willapa
Bay. The only way diggers
Luke Whittaker/Chinook Observer
A clam digger in Willapa Bay.
can access the spits are by
boat. It’s boat-in only, which
limits any potential inter-
action with driving on the
beach or ( bird) nesting,” For-
ster said.
The shifting sand spits are
several hundred yards from
the peninsula, and some-
times disappear underwater
depending on the tides.
“They’re probably under
6 to 10 feet at high tide. It’s
breaking surf on the spits
typically. It’s all sub tidal.
They change from year to
year. One area of the spits
that’s good digging might
not even show the next year,”
Forster said.
the Department of Health
and we announced the open-
ing date from July 10 run-
ning through Aug. 31, with
the possibility of extending
the fi shery into September.”
Despite the seasonal dis-
ruptions, dedicated diggers
return year after year, like
David Tegen, of Westport.
On his best day, Tegen once
dug 389 pounds. But on a
Wednesday morning in late
July, he had more moderate
goals.
“I like to get up around
200 (pounds) or better,” he
said. “But my age is catching
up with me.”
Diggers dwindle
In 2020, Pacifi c County
accounted for 71% of the
statewide commercial clam
harvest, followed by Grays
Harbor with 25%. The fi sh-
ery landed 184,379 pounds
of clams last year during an
87-day season, representing
an ex-vessel value of about
$415,000, the fi fth highest on
record.
A majority of the com-
mercial clam harvest histori-
cally went to the commercial
bait market, where they’re
Participation
among
licensed commercial clam-
mers in Washington state has
declined over the past fi ve
years, from 132 diggers in
2015 to 68 in 2020 to just 29
this year. Scores of commer-
cial diggers once ranged the
sands of Pacifi c and Grays
Harbor counties.
An aging workforce
and seasonal disruptions
due to domoic acid clo-
sures are considered the pri-
mary reasons for the drop in
participation.
The season typically starts
in April and lasts about eight
weeks, but was delayed until
July this year due to a com-
mon neurotoxin.
“We had a late start this
year because of issues with
domoic acid. The same that
aff ected the recreational
beaches also aff ected the
clams on the Willapa Spits.
We continued to test from
March clear through July,
when we got our two good
( back to back) samples to
open,” Forster said. “July 2
we got the green light from
Evolving market
a popular choice for every-
thing from Dungeness crab
to surf perch.
“A reason a good major-
ity have been sold to the crab
market is because, if you talk
to a commercial crabber,
they’ll tell you razor clams
are the best bait. They’re
going to get sold where the
demand is,” Forster said.
Lately, however, a grow-
ing percentage is destined for
the fresh seafood market, as
much as 40%. Many local
seafood retailers and restau-
rants now have razor clams
readily in stock or featured
on menus. Commercial-har-
vested Pacifi c razor clams
are considered a best choice
among sustainable seafood,
according to Seafood Watch.
“Their population is
mostly driven by natural
mortality and recruitment,
not the recreational or com-
mercial harvest,” Forster
said.
P reliminary population
surveys on the peninsula’s
ocean beach indicate strong
numbers for this coming
fall’s digs — if domoic acid
levels stay below 20 parts per
million.
Celebration of Life for
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Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500
August 21st 11 am to 1 pm
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