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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 2019)
T he C olumbia P ress November 8, 2019 Voters approve two tax measures Both rural fire district tax measures were approved during Tuesday’s special elec- tion. Those in the Warrenton Rural Fire Protection District (outside city limits) approved the five-year local option tax for general operations by a vote of 190 to 90, or a 68 per- cent approval rating. Those in the Gearhart Rural Fire Protection District (out- side city limits) approved a similar five year tax by a mar- gin of 310 to 226, or 58 per- cent of the vote. The Warrenton measure is expected to raise $56,000 per year for five years begin- ning with the 2021-22 fiscal year. It replaces a tax set to expire June 30, 2021. War- renton’s rural district con- tracts with the city for fire protection and emergency medial services. The Gearhart measure is expected to raise $135,800 during its first fiscal year, 2020-21. Gearhart’s rural district contracts with the city of Gearhart. The two measures were the only items on the Nov. 5 bal- lot in Clatsop County. Transit agency adds new route on east side of Astoria Sunset Empire Transpor- tation District has expanded weekend bus service in Asto- ria. The new service, Route 13, began Oct. 26. It serves the east side of Astoria and oper- ates from 9:55 a.m. until 3:51 p.m. on Saturdays and Sun- days. The new route connects with the Pacific Connector Bus at Astoria Transit Center. The district is excited to add services that are a direct result of the state’s new tran- sit tax, Executive Director Jeff Hazen said. House Bill 2017 was passed in 2017 and all employees in the state began paying 1 cent per dollar earned into the fund through payroll taxes beginning July 1, 2018. There will be additional service expansion projects in the future, thanks to the tax, Hazen said. Route 13 schedules will be posted in shelters and are available on the district’s website. Local sex offender dies in prison A Warrenton man when he pleaded no sentenced in Janu- contest in January ary for child sexual to two counts of sex abuse has died in abuse and one count prison. of sodomy. Carl Axel Hagnas, He was serving a 70, was found dead six-year sentence. Oct. 31 at the Snake Hagnas was arrest- River Correctional In- ed in 2017 for crimes stitution in Ontario. that occurred in the Hagnas The cause re- 1990s and in 2015 mains under inves- against girls younger tigation, Oregon State Po- than 14. lice Capt. Timothy Fox said He had previous convic- Wednesday. OSP investi- tions for sex abuse in 1986 gates all in-custody deaths. and for manufacturing and A local handyman, Ha- delivering a controlled sub- gnas had faced 13 counts stance in 1991. 3 City’s new library director considers ‘things’ Warrenton Community Library has a new director. Kelly Knudsen, a former high school English teach- er, took over the role of library director Monday. The current director, Net- tie-Lee Calog, officially re- tires today, Nov. 8. Knudsen, 44, earned a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Wis- consin, Milwaukee. Her bachelor’s degree is in En- classes for older glish. She moved to adults, such as tech- Oregon three years ago nology skills, and and was school librar- may do a survey to ian at David Douglas learn what the com- High School in Port- munity wants from land. its public library. “I’ve always wanted to She also may take a work in a public library and I love the ocean,” Knudsen cue from Hillsboro, which has a “library she said of her new job. “I really enjoy that it’s like of things” that people can a community hub. … It’s got check out, such as musical a homey feeling; it feels wel- instruments, tortilla mak- ers, and cotton candy ma- coming.” She’d like to develop more chines. Controlled burns part of wildfire prevention plan Cool, rainy weather across much of the state has allowed the first controlled burns to be lit in parts of Oregon. New rules governing smoke may allow more burns than in the past. Increasing burning will im- prove forest health and help landowners reduce the public safety risk from the buildup of fuels in forests, Oregon De- partment of Forestry officials said. Known as prescribed fires, the regulated burns are lit when weather conditions help minimize smoke getting into smoke-sensitive receptor areas and major wilderness areas, such as Crater Lake National Park. A prescribed burn had been scheduled this week near Sunset Beach south of War- renton, but was cancelled when weather conditions shifted. Of the 2,964 units burned in 2018, only 18 – about half of 1 percent – resulted in smoke entering a sensitive area, ac- cording to ODF records. Although forest landown- ers with permits may burn in certain areas, fire season still may be in effect where the public lives or camps, so check first before lighting backyard debris piles or mak- ing a campfire. “The prescribed burns the public may see in coming weeks are done only when weather conditions are favor- able for burning,” said Nick Yonker, smoke management program manager. “We look to burn on days where air movement will disperse the smoke so public health is protected.” New rules implement- ed earlier this year require burners to stay within federal air quality standards for par- ticulate matter from smoke. But a small amount of smoke entering a sensitive area no longer is classified as an in- trusion. “The old standard used to be zero visible smoke in an SSRA,” Yonker said. “This made it difficult to burn brush near populated areas, the very places where burn- ing built-up woody fuels would improve public safety the most.” Last year, controlled fires were set on 185,702 acres out of Oregon’s more than 30 million forested acres.
