The Columbia Press
February 18, 2022
Body found two years ago
in Longview still John Doe
The Cowlitz Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Office
seeks the public’s
help in identifying
human
remains
found in Longview,
Wash., two years
ago.
Human skeletal re-
mains were found in Febru-
ary 2020 by a longshoreman
at the Weyerhaeuser dock.
After a search of the area, a
nearly complete skeleton was
found buried in thick black-
berry bushes nearby.
The remains were sent to
the King County Medical
Examiner’s Office, where a
forensic odontologist made
a dental record for compar-
ison with the National Miss-
ing and Unidentified Persons
System.
Anthropological
analysis
suggested that the skeletal
remains belonged to a Cauca-
sian or Hispanic adult male.
The
case
de-
tails were entered
into and searched
through
National
Crime Information
Center.
However,
neither the dental
records nor the DNA
have been able to
provide an identity.
Last year, the sheriff’s office
partnered with Othram, a
private forensics laboratory,
to use advanced DNA testing
to establish an identification
or to find a family member of
the unidentified man.
Natalie Murry, a digital fo-
rensic artist, completed a dig-
ital rendering of the subject
based on the physical charac-
teristics of the skull.
Anyone with information
about the man or the cir-
cumstances of his death is
encouraged to contact Detec-
tive Ryan Cruser at 360-577-
3092.
Comments sought on drone rules
Oregon Parks and Recre-
ation Department seeks pub-
lic comment on proposed
rules regarding the take-off
and landing of drones in
state parks and along ocean
shores.
The deadline for comments
is 5 p.m. April 7.
The proposed rules are in-
tended to provide clarity for
drone pilots, hobbyists, and
the public to know what’s al-
lowed where.
Two virtual public meetings
are scheduled to take com-
ments:
The first, on rules in the
parks, is at 6 p.m. March
30. The second meeting, on
ocean regulations, is at 6
p.m. March 31. Both require
advance registration to make
comments.
To register, go to Oregon.
gov/oprd, click on the box for
“Plans, Rulemaking & Per-
mits,” then, on the left-hand
side of the page, click on
“Proposed OPRD Rules.”
Both hearings will be
streamed live at the Oregon
Parks and Recreation You-
Tube channel.
Comments may also be
submitted by mail to Oregon
Parks and Recreation Depart-
ment, attn: Katie Gauthier,
725 Summer St. N.E., Suite
C, Salem OR 97301.
A full copy of the proposed
amendments is available on
the Proposed OPRD Rules
web page.
After reviewing public com-
ments, agency staff will pres-
ent final amended rules for
consideration by the Oregon
Parks and Recreation Com-
mission in late spring.
3
Business and development tidbits
Cruise ships make a return to Astoria waterfront
Cruise ships will be return-
ing to the Port of Astoria
soon.
The first ship to arrive for
the season is the Caribbe-
an Princess on April 5, said
Bruce Connor, the port’s di-
rector of cruise marketing.
“At this point, it looks fair-
ly positive,” Connor told port
commissioners Tuesday af-
ternoon.
By the third quarter of
2022, cruise visits will catch
up to their pre-pandemic lev-
el, he predicted.
“They’re starting earlier and
they’re ending later,” Connor
said. “In other words, the
season is extending.”
The industry was hit harder
than most when the pandem-
ic hit, Connor said. “We get it.
We were floating Petri dishes
when this all began.”
But now all passengers
will be required to have had
COVID-19 boosters in addi-
tion to vaccines.
“So, these folks are 100 per-
cent vaccinated stepping off
into a town that’s 63 percent
vaccinated,” he said. “They’re
safer to stay on the ship.”
Cumulative pandemic loss-
es to the Port of Astoria from
cruise ship income and other
income is an estimated $1.7
million.
Grade school furniture
Warrenton Grade School’s
new staff room recently was
completed with new furni-
ture donated by Roby’s Fur-
niture in Astoria.
The company also fur-
nished what the campus calls
its “Warrior Family Room,” a
place of refuge and resources
for families at the school.
The donation helps families
feel more comfortable and
welcome, according to school
officials.
“It is this kindness and
commitment to the commu-
nity and school from organi-
zations and people like those
at Roby’s Furniture that al-
lows our school to go above
and beyond for our student
and families.”
BMX track
Shipwreck BMX, a nonprof-
it bicycle motocross group
based in Astoria, would like
to put a BMX track at the
south end of the parking lot
at Warrenton’s soccer fields.
Erik Luysterborghs made a
presentation recently to the
Warrenton Parks Advisory
Board, telling them the track
would be privately fund-
ed through donations and
grants, but he’d like the city
to assist with the grading.
All maintenance would be
performed by volunteers and
portable restrooms will be
provided and paid for by the
organization.
The Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality would
need to sign off on the idea
as the parking lot sits atop an
old landfill.
Members of the parks board
gave tentative approval to the
idea with the condition the
appropriate location be de-
cided before it goes before
the City Commission.
Tesla’s tentacles in town
Tesla wants to build a su-
percharger site in Astoria.
The company contacted the
Port of Astoria earlier this
year, seeking support and a
possible location.
“They cover design, engi-
neering, and coordinate util-
ities in exchange for a peri-
od of time with a free lease,”
Executive Director Will Isom
told port commissioners at
their Feb. 1 meeting. “There
are a lot of details to work
out.”
The company claims it can
fully charge one of its Teslas
in half an hour, Isom said,
adding that it might be a good
way to bring people to town
and to the waterfront during
the off season.