149TH YEAR, NO. 124
WEEKEND EDITION // SATuRdAY, ApRil 16, 2022
$1.50
Affordable
housing could
expand at
Owens-Adair
A 50-unit project for
seniors and the disabled
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
photos by lydia Ely/The Astorian
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and Astoria Mayor Bruce Jones participated
in a roundtable discussion on the fishing industry at the Port of Astoria.
Trade ambassador appears
at roundtable on fishing
Tai stopped at the Port
and toured a fishing boat
The Northwest Oregon Housing
Authority has unveiled a plan to double
the size of the Owens-Adair, an afford-
able housing complex for seniors and the
disabled near downtown.
The housing authority, which provides
critical housing assistance to low-income
residents in Clatsop, Columbia and Til-
lamook counties, previewed the concept
during a City Coun-
cil work session on
Friday morning.
MORE
A new four-
INSIDE
story, 50-unit apart-
County
ment project called
briefs city
the
Owens-Adair
on surplus
Annex would mir-
property for
ror the building on
housing • A2
15th and Exchange
streets. The $22.6
million annex would
likely serve low-income seniors and peo-
ple with disabilities earning 30% to 50%
of the area median income.
The annex, which would be built over
the housing authority’s parking lot, would
include 40 one-bedroom apartments and
10 studio apartments. It would include
basement parking with 55 parking spots.
See Housing, Page A2
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
City close
to child care
decision
K
atherine Tai, the U.S. trade rep-
resentative, stopped in Asto-
ria on Wednesday morning to
discuss fishing, sustainability and
the effects of foreign subsidies on
competition.
The ambassador toured commer-
cial fisherman Paul Kujala’s boat,
Cape Windy, before participating in a
roundtable at the Port of Astoria that
included U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, U.S.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, Astoria Mayor
Bruce Jones and representatives of
the fishing and seafood processing
industries.
A significant focus of the roundta-
ble was on foreign government subsi-
dies and international fishing and labor
practices — particularly in China —
and how they impact competition.
China is one of the world’s larg-
est producers of seafood and a major
exporter to the U.S. Because of over-
fishing, many of the fish stocks closest
to China are depleted, so fleets venture
farther out and into other markets.
China’s reported use of forced
labor, as well as other illegal and
unregulated fishing activities, also
drives down the country’s seafood
costs.
Kujala told the roundtable that
about 20% to 30% of his gross income
goes toward compliance, observers,
monitoring and other practices.
“Oregonians want a fair shot in
competing in the global economy and
A new partner at
Sprouts Learning Center
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Paul Kujala, the owner of the commercial fishing vessel Cape Windy, tells U.S. Sen. Ron
Wyden, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai about the boat.
A SIGNIFICANT FOCUS OF THE ROUNDTABLE
WAS ON FOREIGN GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES
AND INTERNATIONAL FISHING AND LABOR
PRACTICES — PARTICULARLY IN CHINA —
AND HOW THEY IMPACT COMPETITION.
when it comes to fisheries, Oregonians
on the coast from Astoria down to
Brookings just aren’t getting that fair
shot,” Wyden said.
Tai’s role is to advise President Joe
Biden on trade issues, lead negotiations
with foreign governments and over-
see disputes and enforcement before
global trade policy regulators like the
World Trade Organization.
After reviewing proposals from two
Astoria preschool providers, the City
Council on Monday expects to chose one
to partner with on child care.
The city announced plans to close
Sprouts Learning Center in February
after reaching a critical staffing shortage
and operating at an unsustainable loss.
The facility, which serves 21 children, is
expected to close by the end of June.
Since announcing the decision to
close, Bumble Art Studio and Astoria
Head Start have approached the city with
proposals for a public-private partnership
to continue the service.
The City Council reviewed the propos-
als during a work session Friday morn-
ing and heard from the providers and the
public.
See Roundtable, Page A6
See Child care, Page A6
Commissioners want more
info on vacation rentals
Restaurateur takes on
Silver Salmon Grille
Scull intends to keep
restaurant the same
By ABBEY McDONALD
The Astorian
Local restaurateur Robert Scull
has purchased the Silver Salmon
Grille, one of the city’s most popu-
lar eateries.
Scull said the Commercial Street
restaurant’s operation and appear-
ance will remain the same and that
executive chef John Sowa will be
staying on.
Sowa joined the Silver Salmon in
2020 after his Cannon Beach restau-
rant, Sweet Basil’s Cafe, closed
due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The menu combined Sowa’s Cajun
themes with chef and owner Jeff
Martin’s seafood dishes.
“What they have is incredible.
And I have no plans to change what
the Silver Salmon Grille and what
Jeff and Laurie have built over the
years,” Scull said.
Jeff and Laurie Martin pur-
chased the restaurant in 2001 and
remodeled the space that features an
See Grille, Page A6
A moratorium
is set to expire
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
lissa Brewer/The Astorian
The Silver Salmon
Commercial Street.
Grille
on
Clatsop County commission-
ers say they want more informa-
tion before they vote on where
vacation rentals should be allowed
in unincorporated areas, raising
the possibility that a moratorium
could be extended.
On Wednesday, the county
Board of Commissioners held first
readings of two ordinances that
would address vacation rentals.
One deals with where the develop-
ment code should explicitly permit
rentals, the other with county code
standards for operating them.
Cities on the North Coast have
adopted rules restricting short-
term rentals. But the county has
not yet called them out as an
allowable use in areas other than
Arch Cape.
Rentals of 30 or fewer days can
help drive tourism and bring in
lodging tax dollars. They have also
led to strife in residential neigh-
borhoods due to some vacationers’
behavior. Coastal communities
must weigh the economic bene-
fits of attracting visitors against the
harm incurred when people without
a stake in the communities show
up, make noise, leave trash, park
thoughtlessly, act rudely and leave.
See Vacation rentals, Page A6