A2
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2021
IN BRIEF
State discloses new virus cases at schools
The Oregon Health Authority has disclosed 10 new
coronavirus cases at schools in Clatsop County.
Four of the virus cases were students in the Asto-
ria School District, according to the health authority’s
weekly outbreak report. Two were from Astor Elemen-
tary School, one was from Lewis and Clark Elementary
School and one was from Astoria High School.
Four of the other virus cases were students at Warrenton
High School. The other two cases were students at Hilda
Lahti Elementary School in the Knappa School District.
The health authority, meanwhile, reported seven new
virus cases for the county on Thursday and seven new
virus cases on Wednesday. Since the pandemic began,
the county had recorded 2,462 virus cases and 27 deaths
as of Thursday.
Natural gas bills going up
NW Natural customers will be paying more for natu-
ral gas starting in November.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission approved the
increase as part of an annual review, citing weather-re-
lated events and a global increase in natural gas prices.
There are around 13,000 NW Natural customers in
the Astoria area, who have seen natural gas bills go both
up and down in the past decade. The average bill is 30%
less than it was 15 years ago, according to NW Natural.
The new prices are as follows:
• Residential: Bills for those using an average of 54
therms per month will increase by $7.51, or 13.2%, from
$57 to $64.50 per month.
• Commercial: Bills for those using an average of 242
therms per month will increase by $36.21, or 17.3%,
from $209.13 to $245.34.
• Industrial: Bills for those using an average of 5,544
therms per month will increase by $594.24, or 20.4%,
from $2,909.90 to $3,504.14.
Astoria man suspected of
hunting deer in city limits
The Oregon State Police credited the public’s help in
catching an Astoria man suspected of poaching.
James Lee Ogier Jr., 25, was cited for hunting deer
with a crossbow within city limits, along with other
hunting violations and a range of unrelated charges.
He is suspected of shooting two deer this month with
an arrow or bolt. Residents provided information to
police that helped lead to his identifi cation. Police also
seized his crossbow, spotlight and night vision binocu-
lars as evidence.
Ogier was sentenced to probation in 2016 for hunting
in city limits after shooting a deer.
Law enforcement had previously announced that
Ogier was arrested this month for burglary, theft, weap-
ons, forgery and criminal mischief charges.
— The Astorian
Ilwaco port director resigns
ILWACO, Wash. — Guy Glenn Jr., the port manager
for Ilwaco and Chinook, has resigned.
Glenn’s departure comes as he approached what
would have been his 10th year among port staff . He
fi rst served as fi nance director in February 2012 before
becoming Ilwaco port manager in August 2013. In Janu-
ary 2016, he became the manager of the Port of Chinook
through an interlocal agreement with Ilwaco.
“I would hope the Port of Ilwaco and Port of Chinook
continue to collaborate for mutual benefi t,” Glenn said
in a resignation letter presented to the Ilwaco Port Com-
mission last week.
— Chinook Observer
DEATH
26, 2021
In HASKELL-FUNARI,
Brief Oct. Catherine
Jean, 63, of Olney,
died in Eugene. Andreason’s Cremation and Burial
Service of Springfi eld is in charge of the arrangements.
Death
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
ON THE RECORD
Criminal mischief
of menacing.
On
Record
• Brian the
Anthony
Car-
Theft
los, 46, of Astoria, was
indicted on Thursday for
criminal mischief in the
fi rst degree, two counts
of unlawful use of a
weapon and two counts
•
Chelsie
Marie
Beeler, 36, of Nehalem,
was arrested on Thursday
at Fred Meyer in Warren-
ton for theft in the second
degree.
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.
Seaside Library Board of Directors, 4:30 p.m., 1131
Broadway St.
Clatsop Care Health District Board, 5 p.m., (electronic meeting).
Seaside Planning Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989
Broadway.
Cannon Beach City Council, 6 p.m., (electronic meeting).
PUBLIC MEETINGS
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Cannon Beach public works
director fi ned for ethics violation
Her company
made pandemic-
related signs
By KATIE
FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
CANNON BEACH — A
state ethics probe found that
Karen La Bonte, the city’s
public works director , vio-
lated state confl ict of inter-
est laws after the city hired a
company she co-owns with
her husband for pandem-
ic-related signs and other
products.
It was common knowl-
edge that La Bonte and her
husband, Darwin Turner,
own Cannon Beach Design
Co . But while La Bonte dis-
closed her relationship to
the business and declared a
potential confl ict of inter-
est verbally to her co-work-
ers and City Manager Bruce
St. Denis, she did not do it in
writing before each transac-
tion as required by state laws,
the Oregon Government Eth-
ics Commission found.
Under a settlement agree-
ment, La Bonte will be
required to pay a $1,000 fi ne.
La Bonte opted to settle the
matter than continue with an
investigation and possible
hearing.
City Manager Bruce St.
Denis called it a technical
violation and noted that the
city had removed La Bonte
from the transaction process
when conducting business
with her husband’s company.
In a memo to the City
Council, St. Denis wrote that
La Bonte “continues to be
an outstanding representa-
tive of the city, a thoughtful
and generous member of the
community and a leader and
role model within the city
organization who has spear-
headed numerous initiatives
that will improve the lives of
Cannon Beach residents for
generations.”
The ethics probe stemmed
from complaints fi led by
Manzanita resident Rusty
Morris earlier this year
regarding signs the city com-
missioned from La Bon-
te’s company in 2020. He
claimed she had abused her
position and benefi ted from
the transactions.
La Bonte and St. Denis
have pushed back against
Morris’ complaints, saying
La Bonte is being targeted
because of a personal dis-
agreement and that many of
the claims Morris has made
are unfounded or false. St.
Denis called the complaints a
campaign of harassment.
He plans to ask the City
Council at an upcoming
meeting to consider allowing
the city to cover La Bonte’s
legal fees.
DIGITAL
EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.25
Beach Design Co. between
2017 and 2021 for products
ranging from business cards
to city signs.
State fi ndings show La
Bonte was the city offi cial
who ordered products and
services from the design com-
pany on 13 occasions. St.
Denis counters that La Bonte
was merely listed by the ven-
dor but she was not the one in
charge of the orders. The cost
in these transactions came to
$2,470.95, according to La
Bonte’s agreement with the
state.
Morris continues to push
for La Bonte’s dismissal from
the city. He circulated a peti-
tion this year on Change.
org calling for the city to fi re
La Bonte. As of Friday, the
petition had just over 1,000
signatures.
Morris told The Astorian
he plans to fi le a complaint
with the Oregon elections
division because he believes
she improperly advocated for
the city’s proposed 5% tax on
prepared food.
St. Denis says La Bonte
forwarded an email at another
person’s request. This hap-
pened during a time when
staff were still allowed to
advocate for the measure.
“What began as a personal
issue has escalated to an eff ort
by one individual to use my
job as a tool to harass me,” La
Bonte said in an email.
Gallery: ‘The gallery is like a little family’
static. “She captures the
movement that makes you
stop and think about it. It’s
interesting. And she makes
sure her work is aff ord-
able,” she said, noting Maita
is the top seller. “Her works
disappear.”
In contrasting style nearby
is bold colorful art by Sandra
Wires, who uses chalk pas-
tel to capture the personali-
ties of live models, including
some nudes. “I particularly
love the portrait and make
my impression carefully
observing the unique face of
each model,” she stated in
the cooperative’s Facebook
page.
Continued from Page A1
Because of their kinship,
other members will stop by
even when it’s not their turn.
“It’s like a gathering place,”
said Murakami, who times
her errands so she can drop
in to chat.
The cooperative has
existed for four years.
While some of its founders
have moved on, Murakami
said the core values hav-
en’t changed: aff ordable art
by local artists. “People are
delighted to buy original art
at a price they can aff ord,”
she said.
‘Big draw’
Murakami is especially
complimentary of the sup-
port of Lisa Barile, which
goes beyond exhibiting her
fl ame-worked glass jew-
elry and sitting four times
a month. “She is really
devoted to making this hap-
pen,” Murakami said.
Barile savors that involve-
ment. Like Murakami, she
delights that when people
come into the retail area they
are greeted by that day’s “sit-
ter” — who has their own
creations on display.
“People love to meet the
artists. I think that is a big
draw.” she said. She hopes
collaborations with Elixir,
Boondocks and other busi-
nesses will cement their cor-
ner as a must-see hub.
“We want to make the area
fun, a nice place to get off the
highway. We are by the river,
and we have the German
store (Jayden’s) down the
street. We want South Bend
to be a nice, walkable area.”
She joined the group just
after it started and exhibits
handcrafted jewelry items
suspended on silk ribbons.
All are fashioned using mol-
ten glass and sterling sil-
ver in a process called lamp
working.
Barile grew up in the Cal-
ifornia art colony of Laguna
Patrick Webb/Chinook Observer
Cards by Mariko Maita incorporate pressed dried fl owers and
other materials in their subtle designs.
Beach. As a girl, she enjoyed
stringing beads to make
necklaces. When she moved
north some years ago, she
was exposed to glassmak-
ing art at M&D Designs in
Chinook. “I took a class with
them and I was hooked,”
she recalled, later enhancing
her skills by taking classes
with nationally known bead
artists.
For Barile, creating
detailed art is a stress release
from her job as a 23-year
veteran special education
para educator in South Bend
s chools, where she is pres-
ident of the local Public
School Employees union.
Away from her voca-
tion, she embraces a diff er-
ent intensity, working with
the fl uidity of warm glass to
create tiny details that she
shapes into attractive jew-
elry. “It is really relaxing for
me,” she said.
The gallery’s membership
is as fl uid as Barile’s glass,
but all embrace the idea that a
gallery shouldn’t scare away
potential visitors by using
terms like fi ne art or having
high prices. “We always wel-
come new artists,” she said.
“We have all sorts of artis-
tic levels and skills. We are
not ‘uppity.’ It’s all diff erent
kinds of art. We have some
unique art in there.”
A step inside reveals wild
horses, lighthouses, tasteful
hunting shots and other artis-
tic framed or matted pho-
tography by Cathy Russ,
plus a book highlighting her
images of barns. Russ was a
president of the cooperative,
and even though she recently
moved to Morro Bay, Cal-
ifornia, she still supports
the gallery fi nancially, said
Murakami. “She had busi-
ness experience and brought
discipline to the early years,”
she added.
In another corner, pressed
dried fl owers by the oldest
exhibitor, Mariko Maita, fea-
tures in art displays and on
cards. Murakami remarked
that the Japanese-style work
with muted colors and deli-
cate images does not appear
Bay Center art added
The gallery has recently
added the scenic paintings of
Ron Pulliam, the Bay Cen-
ter artist whose landscapes
of the Palix River and other
local views were featured
in the Chinook Observer in
December .
Barile said Pulliam some-
times brings his easel so gal-
lery visitors can watch him
work. “We are really happy
to have him as part of the
gallery,” she said.
Artists JoDean Jordan,
Kate O’Neil, Rebecca Bar-
rymore, Bob Herrera, Linda
Brummel and another new-
comer, Maddison Dyer, who
just moved from Arizona,
complete the roster.
Murakami’s delight in the
artists’ camaraderie is echoed
by Barile.
“The gallery is like a lit-
tle family,” she said. “The
people become part of that
‘family’ and pop in and visit
the person who is sitting.
You might walk in and there
might be three of the artists
there.”
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“The actions taken by
Morris were personal, but
he used her position at the
city to go after her,” St.
Denis said. “When someone
goes after one of our leader-
ship team then they’re also
going after the city because
they’re saying that we don’t
do things properly here, and
Karen bore the brunt of that
defense.”
For his part, Morris holds
fi rm to his belief that La
Bonte acted in bad faith. He
says his complaints were
not motivated by a personal
grievance.
Large signs went up at
city entrances in the spring
of 2020. They were consid-
ered an emergency measure
after an infl ux of visitors and
stated that, “Due to COVID-
19 Cannon Beach is closed to
visitors.” Other signs ordered
later depicted animals wear-
ing face masks to remind peo-
ple to wear protective face
coverings as a precaution
against the virus.
In a preliminary review
of the ethics complaints, a
state investigator said it didn’t
appear La Bonte used her
position to benefi t fi nancially
but she may not have prop-
erly disclosed a possible con-
fl ict of interest.
In a fi nal decision this
month, the state found the city
made 111 purchases of goods
or services from Cannon
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