150TH YEAR, NO. 2
DailyAstorian.com // TuEsdAY, JulY 5, 2022
$1.50
Housing
authority
improves
rating
Agency had been
flagged as ‘troubled’
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Photos by lydia Ely/The Astorian
A lifeguard uses a scope to keep watch over swimmers in Cannon Beach.
In Cannon Beach, city partners
with fire district to add lifeguards
Authorities work
to close gaps
See Rating, Page A6
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
C
ANNON BEACH — After
noticing more water rescues
before and after the typical life-
guard season, the city and the Cannon
Beach Rural Fire Protection District
have partnered to provide additional
coverage.
City lifeguards have typically
started in mid-June and supervise the
beach through Labor Day weekend.
Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn
said the city usually has about 10 life-
guards each year, but most are teach-
ers or students, who are forced to start
later in the season. They also have
to return to school toward the end of
summer, creating another gap.
An intergovernmental agreement
approved by the City Council in May
allows fire district staff and volunteers
to bookend the typical lifeguard sea-
son. It also allows the fire district’s
five lifeguards to fill shifts during the
summer when needed.
Schermerhorn said there are usu-
ally two to four lifeguards on the
beach seven days a week. Fire dis-
trict personnel will be reimbursed an
hourly rate for lifeguard services by
the city.
“It’s really just a win-win because
water rescue ultimately falls under the
fire department, so it’s something that
is good to include them on,” he said. “I
think we’ll continue to build the team
and work together, making it stron-
ger, because it’s not as easy to get any
employees anymore.”
Fire Chief Marc Reckmann said
that after continuing to see emergen-
cies in the water earlier in the season
See Lifeguards, Page A6
The Northwest Oregon Housing
Authority has moved from “troubled”
to a “standard performer” after working
with the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development on a corrective
action plan since 2020.
The federal agency flagged the hous-
ing authority, which helps low-income
people in Clatsop,
Columbia and Til-
lamook counties, as
MORE
“troubled” in Janu-
INSIDE
ary 2020 following
Elevator at
an audit of the hous-
apartment
ing choice voucher
complex for
program. The pro-
seniors still
gram, which is the
out • A6
housing
authori-
ty’s primary hous-
ing assistance, helps
low-income families find rental housing.
The housing authority had received a
score of 7 out of 100 in 2020 follow-
ing an audit and on-site review. Hous-
ing authorities are deemed “troubled” if
Neighbor’s
quick action
saves house
A frantic knocking during fire
By ALEXIS WEISEND
The Astorian
A lifeguard uses binoculars to keep watch over the shore.
‘IT’S REALLY JUST A WIN-WIN BECAUSE
WATER RESCUE ULTIMATELY FALLS UNDER
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SO IT’S SOMETHING
THAT IS GOOD TO INCLUDE THEM ON. I
THINK WE’LL CONTINUE TO BUILD THE
TEAM AND WORK TOGETHER, MAKING IT
STRONGER, BECAUSE IT’S NOT AS EASY TO
GET ANY EMPLOYEES ANYMORE.’
Richard Boman had settled down for
a peaceful night of watching TV by the
fireside in late June when he heard frantic
knocking on his door in Uniontown.
On his doorstep was his neighbor,
Richard Bates, who owns the Hume Ave-
nue house from the 1986 movie “Short
Circuit.” He told Boman to evacuate. The
roof was on fire.
Bates and his nephew, Xavier Wom-
elsdors, lept to action as Boman called
911. Equipped with fire extinguishers
and fire training from his time in the U.S.
Navy, Bates worked to tame the flames.
Fifteen minutes later, the fire was out.
“He really saved my life, I think,”
Boman said, “And the house is still here
because of him.”
Bates and Womelsdors were pres-
sure-washing Bates’ deck when they
noticed blacker-than-usual smoke pip-
ing out of their neighbor’s chimney. The
fire had grown too hot and spread to the
roof.
Jason Schermerhorn | Cannon Beach police chief
See Fire, Page A6
Crime drama fan found second career with police
Peden managed
administrative services
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
T
erri Peden, the administrative
services manager at the Astoria
Police Department, recently retired
after more than 23 years.
Soon after joining the depart-
ment in January 1999, she began to
wonder if she would stick around.
Within weeks of her arrival,
the department’s computer system
crashed, wiping out all digital case
records.
“We had nothing,” she remem-
bered. “You couldn’t call us up and
ask us about anybody … It was like
we’d just started working.”
Then, shortly before Valentine’s
Day, a 7-year-old girl went miss-
ing. Her 16-year-old neighbor had
kidnapped, sexually abused and
strangled her and hid her body in
his basement. Without records to
review, police had trouble helping
the FBI and local crime team.
Amid the homicide investiga-
tion, the department was training on
a new phone system.
All of this with Y2K — the mil-
lennium bug — looming.
“I’d go home at night and I’d
tell my husband, ‘I don’t know if I
really made the right decision here.
This is crazy. If this is the way it’s
See Peden, Page A6
Terri Peden worked at the Astoria Police Department for more than two decades.