A2 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021 Food Hub hosts fi rst winter market IN BRIEF Fisherman cited for undersized crabs The captain of a commercial fi shing boat that landed at Pacifi c Seafood in Warrenton was cited last week for taking undersized Dungeness crab in viola- tion of state fi sheries law. Richard Fulton Brown, 56, of Hebo, docked his vessel, the Calamari, at the fi sh processing plant on Dec. 6 with what a state Department of Fish and Wild- life biologist noticed was an inordinate number of small crabs on board. The Calamari had arrived with more than 45,000 pounds of crab. Of that, roughly 22% — more than $49,000 worth — of Brown’s catch was undersized, according to measurements by Oregon State Police fi sh and wildlife troopers and personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard. In Oregon, commercial fi shermen are permitted to catch male crabs that are 6.25 inches wide, a rule meant to sustain the crabbing industry by not allowing the younger ones to be picked off before they are fully grown. Female crabs are off limits. The undersized crabs were seized by state police and sold to Pacifi c Seafood, according to Coast Guard Petty Offi cer Michael Clark, of District 13 in Seattle. The proceeds from the sale will go to the state, he said. New virus cases reported in county The Oregon Health Authority has reported new coronavirus cases for Clatsop County over the past several days. The health authority reported seven new virus cases on Tuesday, 14 new cases over the weekend and six new cases on Friday. Since the pandemic began, the county had recorded 2,703 virus cases as of Tuesday. — The Astorian DEATHS Dec. 15, 2021 MART, Brian Jon, 69, Deaths of Astoria, died in Asto- ria. Caldwell’s Luce-Lay- ton Mortuary of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. Dec. 14, 2021 HAMLIN, Freder- ick Ronald, 73, of Bea- verton, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Lay- ton Mortuary of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. HAYWARD, Joseph Orlo, 94, of Warren- ton, died in Warrenton. Caldwell’s Luce-Lay- ton Mortuary of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. Dec. 12, 2021 PITTARD, Suzanne Mary, 86, of Wheeler, formerly of Seaside, died in Wheeler. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. STAMPER, Shane Edward, 38, of Asto- ria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Lay- ton Mortuary of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. Dec. 10, 2021 KOHANEK, Perry Eli, 63, of Seaside, died in Seaside. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. ON THE RECORD Theft and attempted assault On the Record • James Lee Ogier, Jr., 25, of Astoria, was indicted for two separate cases last week. For crimes alleged to have occurred in Novem- ber, Ogier was indicted for aggravated theft in the fi rst degree, two counts of burglary in the second degree, being a felon in possession of a fi rearm and criminal mischief in the second degree. For crimes alleged to have occurred in early Decem- ber, he was indicted for two counts of attempted assault in the fi rst degree, attempted animal abuse in the fi rst degree, escape in the second degree, two counts of being a felon in possession of a fi rearm, two counts of fl eeing or attempting to elude a police offi cer, crim- inal mischief in the fi rst degree, failing to perform the duties of a driver after causing property damage, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving. Menacing • Eric Nicholas Ferguson, 41, of Astoria, was arrested on Friday at the Astoria Transit Center on Marine Drive for menacing, criminal mischief in the fi rst degree and disorderly conduct in the second degree. DUII • Francisco Ortiz Alvarez, 38, of Portland, was indicted in June for driving under the infl uence of intoxicants, assault in the fourth degree, failing to per- form the duties of a driver to injured persons, reck- less driving and four counts of recklessly endanger- ing another person. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Clatsop County in April. Abbey McDonald/The Astorian Astoria Food Hub hosted its fi rst winter market Saturday in the historic Mason, Ehrman & Co. building. Jared Gardner, a central partner to the project, said he was excited by the turnout. He intends to open the space as a storage, distribution and retail hub for local producers in February, with a restaurant and speakeasy. ‘We really exist to promote small farmers,’ Gardner said. Child care: ‘We all want children to be safe’ Continued from Page A1 according to the bill’s fact sheet. Families that don’t have access to a publicly funded program are forced to shell out about $8,600 per year for private preschool, according to whitehouse.gov. The bill, while quite large, has been whittled down from what was initially proposed, with possibly more changes ahead in the U.S. Senate. “Once (Build Back Bet- ter) is fully implemented, and of course it still needs to pass the Senate, it will make sure that more than 13 mil- lion young children are eli- gible for the (child care) assistance,” Bonamici said. “The intent is to make sure that it’s not only aff ord- able and accessible, but also high-quality.” Higher wages for child care workers is also a prior- ity , Bonamici said. THURSDAY Cannon Beach Design Review Board, 6 p.m., (electronic meeting). Seaside Transportation Advisory Commission, 6 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 Circulation phone number: 800-781-3214 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR 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. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2021 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Continued from Page A1 things,” Johnson said. “I will never forget the opportunity you’ve given this daughter of Oregon to serve, to learn and to continue to lead.” Under state law, county commissioners in Senate District 16 will make the appointment to fi ll Johnson’s vacancy in the Senate until a new senator is elected next year. The Democratic Party will recommend nominees. “I hope the party offi cials and county commission- ers who select my replace- ment will do the wise thing and choose someone who is dedicated 100% to serving in service and not to the pol- itics of running for election next year,” Johnson said in a video posted on Facebook. State Rep. Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, has announced she will run for Senate District 16 next year. Johnson will resign from the Democratic Party to pur- sue her independent cam- paign for governor. She needs to gather more than 23,700 signatures by next summer to qualify as a non- affi liated candidate for the November 2022 ballot. “It is so clear: Oregonians want a diff erent kind of poli- tics, and they certainly want a diff erent kind of leadership,” Johnson said in the video. “They want leadership that DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.25 implementing standards in Oregon, it will be prudent to ensure good providers aren’t lost due to new licensing requirements. “Of course, we all want children to be safe and facili- ties to be safe, but we have to really keep an eye on that,” she said. As the Senate fast approaches a self-im- posed Christmas deadline, Bonamici encouraged peo- ple to communicate with their members of Congress to push for passage of the bill. “It’s really helpful to let our senators know, but also, if you are networked with people in other states, just emphasizing the importance of these investments,” she said. The Oregon Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. reaches beyond party labels, rejects the extremes and puts common sense in service to the common good.” Andy Davis, the chair- man of the Clatsop County Democratic Party, said, “It’s a surprise that she’s taking this step right now, though I understand wanting to con- centrate on the governor’s race. “On a logistical level, I wish we had more time to prepare for the upcoming legislative session.” He said Johnson’s deci- sion to resign puts her replacement in a bind because that person will have to climb a steep learn- ing curve. “But we’ll make the best of it,” Davis said. Davis said he talked to the state Democratic Party to coordinate steps for fi nd- ing Johnson’s replacement. The Clatsop County Dem- ocratic Party had antici- pated running someone next year for Johnson’s seat and so far hasn’t settled on any- one, he said. The senator’s announcement speeds up the timeline. Asked who might step up, Davis said, “Given we just found out, I haven’t had time to talk to anybody to even sound them out. We’ve got a couple of names that we might try, but I certainly hav- en’t got anybody that would be committed to that yet.” Waterfront: Plan is a framework for redevelopment been conceptualized. A relo- cated trolley stop would also be created. Other supportive, mixed- use buildings are scattered throughout the plan. While implementation will take several years, the consultant team identifi ed several smaller-scale proj- ects considered to be “easy wins.” They include replac- ing the Chinook Building with supportive uses for seasonal fi shing, improving the Astoria Riverwalk and upgrading access, availabil- ity and amenities within the West Mooring Basin. The plan is intended to provide the Port and the city with a framework for rede- velopment with the ability to make adjustments based on the economy. A breakdown of local, state and federal funding sources was also laid out . Recruiting developers and investors would be nec- essary for both maritime industrial and mixed-use projects . ‘An important purpose’ Similar to the fi rst meet- ing, the consultant, the Port and city staff fi elded questions, concerns and suggestions . “The public has had a high level of involvement in this planning process,” said Will Isom, the Port’s executive director. “I think these public forums serve an important purpose in terms of keeping the pub- Subscription rates Eff ective January 12, 2021 MAIL EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$10.75 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 the same benefi ts in better wages the same way the rest of the child care workforce will benefi t. This also appears in Build Back Better, which has a requirement that child care providers be licensed. “I’m really worried about this new requirement that all providers be licensed, and the barriers that that’s going to create for (Family For- ward Oregon) providers to participate in the system,” Paluso said, “particularly for the families that are already using FFN providers that are already struggling the most to participate in this system, who operate in languages other than English or have technology challenges and gaps.” Bonamici noted that Build Back Better does include technical assistance for licensing processes, but she also agreed that when Johnson: ‘Oregonians want a diff erent kind of politics’ Continued from Page A1 PUBLIC MEETINGS “Under Build Back Bet- ter, workers in child care and universal pre-K will be paid commensurate to elementary school educators with simi- lar qualifi cations,” she said. But some child care and labor advocates say the bill falls short for family, friend and neighbor care providers, who made up a signifi cant share of child care providers long before the pandemic . Family, friend and neigh- bor care typically refers to home-based care that is not regulated. “There’s a real continued ambivalence about the role for friend/family/neighbor providers in this larger sys- tem,” said Andrea Paluso, the executive director Fam- ily Forward Oregon, an advocacy group. This ambivalence shows up in multiple ways. An unregulated workforce, for example, is not going to reap WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 lic informed, but also a chance to ask questions and exchange ideas. It would be my hope that through this process, we can get some public support behind this redevelopment, as well.” While attendance was lower than the fi rst meeting, a few people spoke and pro- vided their thoughts. Among the questions was the possibility of housing . Housing was considered, Zilis said, but other options were preferred considering the limited space. As the concept moves forward , the next steps include completion of the master plan in February and potential adoption toward the spring and summer. “The best way to ensure this plan can become a real- ity is to make sure that we’ve garnered public sup- port for the plan and we have enough momentum that really the governing bodies have no choice but to move it forward,” Isom said. “ … Based on the feedback we’ve received, which has been overwhelmingly pos- itive, it sounds like, in gen- eral, we are headed in the right direction.” GAME MEAT PROCESSING Debbie D’s will be at Cash & Carry in Warrenton at 10:00 a.m. every Saturday to pick up and deliver meat for processing. 20 lb. min • Each batch individual Please call Mon-Fri between 10-4 so we know to expect you. DEBBIE D’S Jerky & Sausage Factory 2210 Main Avenue N. • Tillamook, OR • 503-842-2622