The Columbia press., June 25, 2021, Image 1

The Columbia Press
1
Clatsop County’s Independent Weekly
www.thecolumbiapress.com
Vol. 5, Issue 26
June 25, 2021
Treacherous rocky
South Jetty work
at halfway point
City manager
to retire at end
of summer
By Cindy Yingst
By Cindy Yingst
The Columbia Press
Reconstruction of South Jetty – perhaps
the largest public works project in Clatsop
County -- has reached the halfway mark.
More than 160,000 tons of boulders have
been shipped to the site with 100,000 more
tons quarried and ready to barge, according
to J.E. McAmis, the heavy civil marine con-
tractor in charge of work at the site. More
than 200,000 tons remain to be mined,
shipped, and placed.
South Jetty, at the extreme Top: A machine
northwest tip of Oregon, is 6.6 operator uses a
miles long and was built between Caterpillar 6020B
1885 and 1895. It is the largest, excavator to work
most expensive, and last of the along the sides of
South Jetty.
three jetty reconstruction projects
approved by the federal govern- Right: A spotter
ment a decade ago and managed
is dwarfed by
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- both the 15.7-ton
neers.
rock he’s stand-
Jetty A, also called Spur Jetty,
ing on and the
is about a third of a mile long and
excavator.
was reconstructed in 2016-17 at a
Photos by Jason
See ‘Jetty’ on Page 4
The Columbia Press
told city commissioners Tuesday night.
Both Cannon Beach and the Clatsop
County Sheriff’s Office already had ended
their canine narcotics detection programs.
The department had hoped there might
be challenges to Measure 110, which re-
duced penalties for possessing small
quantities of drugs, Workman said. “But
that didn’t happen and (drugs) were fur-
ther decriminalized.”
The acquisition of Gabe came about
through a monetary gift to Warrenton Po-
lice Department from the widow of Officer
Jim Gaebel. Gaebel died in 2016 after 40
years of police service, the last decade in
City Manager Linda Engbretson an-
nounced her plans to retire effective
Sept. 30.
“I’ve spent 26 years as an employee
for the city of Warrenton,” she said,
reading her written
notice of retirement
to the City Commis-
sion. “It’s been one of
the greatest honors of
my life to work for this
city.”
She told commis-
sioners she’s willing to Engbretson
remain at the post un-
til a new city manager is hired and has
started working.
“Is there a motion to reject the let-
ter?” joked Mayor Henry Balensifer.
“It’s a sad day for Warrenton. We thank
you for what you’ve done. You jumped
into the position at a really hectic time
for the city and made it have a bigger,
brighter direction.”
The previous city manager, Kurt
Fritsch, had resigned from the post
saying he’d gotten too involved in some
issues, particularly the Eighth Street
Dam, and had become a distraction.
Engbretson served as city recorder
under four city managers, Gil Gramson,
Ed Madere, Bob Maxfield and Fritsch.
She was appointed interim city man-
ager upon Fritsch’s departure in 2016
and the position was made permanent
later that year.
She has been a calming influence on
city staff and elected officials, many
have said. She leads with a steady, non-
dictatorial hand.
“I care about results, and she certain-
ly has given us results,” Commissioner
See ‘Gabe’ on Page 6
See ‘Manager’ on Page 2
Davenport
City ends canine narcotics detection program
By Cindy Yingst
The Columbia Press
Officer Robert Wirt with Gabe.
50 ¢
The city has decided to retire its
drug-sniffing dog, Gabe, in large part due
to last November’s passage of a statewide
measure that lessened penalties for drug
possession.
“With the implementation of ballot Mea-
sure 110 and the total change of the ille-
gal drug landscape in Oregon, a narcotic
detection K9’s use is extremely narrow in
scope and, unless you are working high-
way drug interdiction, a narcotics K9 is
not very feasible or justifiable for small
agencies,” Police Chief Matt Workman