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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2018)
2A • August 17, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com National Night Out in Seaside Firefighters, police serve up a night of fun at Broadway Park By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal Just before the grills were fired up for the annual law enforcement National Night Out, beach rescue returned from a distress call in the Cove, as two boogie-boarders got stuck in the current. Just another life-saving day at the office. Such are the challenges of Seaside police and fire departments, whether fight- ing fires near and far, pro- viding aid to swimmers and R.J. MARX Duane Heller, Barney Gee, Sandra Gee and Lt. Bruce Holt share a laugh at the National Night Out at Broadway Park. surfers, or maintaining pub- lic safety on the streets of a city that can swell to 40,000 on busy summer days. “I’ve been to a few of these,” Lt. Bruce Holt, Sea- side’s longest serving officer said, referring to the 35th an- nual barbecue on Aug. 7 in Seaside designed to bring the community out to meet local fire departments and law en- forcement. Holt said the night had an “impressive turnout,” with games, brochures and pam- phlets highlighting depart- ment activities. Seaside Fire Division Chief Chris Dugan served burgers and hot dogs to all comers. The event had been busy from the start, Police Chief Dave Ham said. “Broadway Park is a great place to have it,” he said. “We’re very hap- py with all the cooperation from everybody. It’s been re- ally great.” Gearhart man sentenced to nearly six years in child pornography case Plea deal with District Attorney By Jack Heffernan The Daily Astorian A Gearhart man was sen- tenced Thursday to nearly six years in prison for child por- nography crimes. Samuel Roy Polan, 39, compelled at least two chil- dren under 12 years old to photograph or record sexually explicit activity. After being indicted in February on 10 counts, including some that alleged he attempted to sell the material, Polan pleaded no contest in July to two counts of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct as part of a plea deal with the Clatsop County District Attor- ney’s Office. Each count carries a man- datory minimum sentence of nearly six years in pris- on. As part of the plea deal, Polan agreed to have an open sen- tencing hear- Samuel Roy Polan ing and let a judge deter- mine whether to run the min- imum sentences concurrently or consecutively. Judge Richard Baldwin — a former Oregon Supreme Court justice who spent Thurs- day filling in for Circuit Court Judge Paula Brownhill — sen- tenced Polan concurrently, saying it was a “very long” time considering the circum- stances of the case. Polan used Tango, a mes- saging app, to compel the chil- dren to take sexually explicit photos. If they refused, Polan made threats such as contact- ing their parents, Chief Deputy District Attorney Ron Brown said. “He used various tactics that were particularly heinous in my view,” Brown said. A detective in Oklahoma notified Oregon State Police of an investigation into Po- lan’s contact with a child there, prompting the local probe. Po- lan likely will face additional charges in Oklahoma and pos- sibly Michigan and North Car- olina, Brown said. Polan has two prior sex crime convictions, including for third-degree rape — in- volving sex with a teenage girl — in Clatsop County in 2010. He also was convicted in a 2004 case involving sexu- al contact with a minor relative in Texas. “He obviously has a very serious problem with attrac- tion to children,” Brown said. Polan was sexually abused by his father as a young child and later bounced from fos- ter home to foster home, said James von Boeckmann, his court-appointed attorney. His 2004 conviction came after he had reunited with members of his family. “It is not a problem of his own devise,” von Boeckmann said. Polan apologized Thursday for his actions. “I don’t know what caused me to do it, and I’ll look for the help I need,” he said. Baldwin pointed out that Polan has had opportunities in the past to seek treatment in prison. “You can’t just say you want it if you don’t engage and make your best effort to get something out of treatment,” the judge said. “With your re- cord, you’re going to be in for the rest of your life the next conviction, I’m sure, if the judge has that opportunity.” Groups clash over marbled murrelet By Steven Dubois Associated Press PORTLAND — Conservation groups sued the Oregon De- partment of Fish and Wildlife Commission on Thursday for failing to strengthen protections for the marbled murrelet, tiny seabirds that venture inland to raise their young and depend on old-growth forests for nesting. The groups petitioned the commission in 2016 to reclassify the bird’s status from threatened to endangered under the state Endangered Species Act. A listing as endangered would require the state to develop a management plan and survival guidelines for the birds that are about 9 inches long and weigh 7 to 8 ounces. The commission denied the petition in June by a 4-2 vote, after hearing testimony from officials in timber-rich coastal coun- ties who worried about the economic impact of restricting log- ging to save the birds. Commissioners opposed to reclassification said researchers from Oregon State University are in the early stages of a 10-year study about the seabird, and they wanted to wait for results. The marbled murrelet was listed as threatened under the fed- eral Endangered Species Act in 1992 and the Oregon Endan- gered Species Act in 1995. The species is state-endangered in Washington and California. In 2015, there were believed to be about 11,000 marbled murrelets in Oregon, but survey numbers are uncertain because the birds have only been counted at sea and are extremely elu- sive in the forest. Experts believe the population has declined by more than 50 percent from historic highs. Though the population has been stable since 2000, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife strategy species coordinator Christina Donehower told the board in February that a model shows the bird has about an 80 percent chance of going extinct in Oregon by the 22nd century. Among its claims, the lawsuit asserts the commission failed to base its decision on verifiable science and didn’t adequately explain its decision to reverse course. The Department of Fish and Wildlife did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The commission will consider survival guidelines that en- courage — but not require — certain actions from timber com- panies to protect the seabird on state-owned or leased lands. Such guidelines could include additional survey work ahead of logging to determine restrictions on when during the year timber companies would cut. FLOORING CCB# 205283 y ou ou r r w ep alk ut o at n io n POLICE LOG July 27 Aug. 1 1:18 a.m., Broadway: Property crimes are reported at Twisted Fish. 12:24 a.m., 500 block S. Holladay: A couple reported as behaving in a suspicious manner walking along the riverbank told police they were looking for blackberries. They were advised to quit walking behind closed businesses. 11:10 a.m., First Avenue: A theft in the second degree is reported. 11:37 a.m., 700 block N. Frank- lin: Caller reports dogs barking for four days. Property owner shows up and says the dogs can be impounded. The renters (dog owners) arrive prior to the property being entered. The landlord and the renters agree to take care of the issue. 3:16 p.m., Avenue R: Caller reports subject sitting at the end of the road all day. Subject tells police they are having a bad day and are just trying to soak up some sunshine. 4:15 p.m., Police headquarters: A good Samaritan comes in with a found dog in need of veterinary attention. July 28 2:11 a.m., Holladay Drive: An intoxicated person involved in a physical disturbance is given a courtesy ride home. No crimi- nality involved. July 29 3:22 a.m., 400 block S. Franklin: Police respond to a report of noise; individuals playing loud music outside the residence are advised of the complaint and agree to go inside. 1:19 p.m., 400 block S. Roos- evelt: A man shouting obscen- ities is informed his actions are alarming others. He agreed to stop. 6:23 p.m., 900 block Avenue S: A man missing his pants is de- termined to be having mental health issues. He was asked to move along. 4:26 a.m., 1000 block S. Holladay: A person caught rum- maging through garbage cans behind the police department told officers he was trying to earn an honest living collect- ing cans. Subject was advised about going through cans on private property. 11:56 p.m., 1600 block S. Columbia: An assault was reported. Aug. 2 12:36 a.m., 1900 block N. Hol- laday: A couple going through a separation were warned of disorderly conduct after police responded to a report of a disturbance. 10: 15 a.m., S. Holladay: A paranoid-acting male who admitted to using meth told police he believes himself to be the target of multiple gangs and is a “marked man.” He was given a courtesy ride to the hospital emergency room and advised to report to police any threats made against him. 1:09 p.m., Police headquarters: A child used for sexual display was reported to the police. Aug. 3 1:21 a.m., 400 block S. Holla- day: Noisy revelers are warned to quiet down. 3:11 a.m., Avenue A: Partiers having too good a time are warned; they denied making noise. 9:38 a.m., Police headquarters: A person came in to register as a sex offender. 7:36 p.m., The Cove: Police respond to water rescue. The fire department was on hand and everyone was fine when police arrived. 10:41 a.m., S. Wahanna: A man found with his pants around his ankles and behaving strangely tells police he is leaving town the next day. He was advised to keep his pants pulled up in meanwhile. 8:41 p.m., Avenue A and Highway 101: Police respond to a report of a female looking to the caller as though she was about to run out into traffic. The woman told police she was attempting to get on a bus. July 30 11:39 p.m., 700 block S. Holl- aday: A woman who reported her intoxicated husband had run off from her and their group of friends later told police they were reunited and she was taking responsibility for him. Aug. 4 1:49 a.m., 1200 block S. Wahanna: Police responding to a report of a female juvenile screaming determine after speaking with the parents that the child was objecting to being sent to bed. 11:55 a.m., Broadway: Police respond to a report of a man hitting a woman. They were un- able to locate and the reporting party had left the area. 2:06 p.m., 1700 block S. Franklin: A caller reported a half-dressed man coming out of the river; the caller described the man’s upper torso and face covered in a road burn or a severe rash. Police were unable to locate. 7:47 p.m., 400 block S. Holl- aday: A male walking around carrying a BB gun rifle on his back is advised by police his ac- tivity is stressing others and of ordinances regarding BB guns. Aug. 5 12:31 a.m., S. Roosevelt: A per- son was arrested for possession of heroin. 9:14 a.m., S. Prom: A deceased person is reported. 2:29 p.m., Outlet mall: A man reported to be approaching people and asking them for money is trespassed indefinite- ly from the area. 4:14 p.m. 500 block Broad- way: A person is arrested and charged with unlawful posses- sion of a weapon and intent to use. They are also charged with disorderly conduct. Aug. 6 11:32 a.m., Avenue U: “Mocha” a missing dog found roaming and temporarily kenneled, was reunited with its owner. 6:29 p.m., Lewis and Clark: A disturbance is reported. Aug. 7 4:27 a.m., Lewis and Clark: A person is arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; reckless driving; attempting to elude a police officer. 3:40 p.m., 700 block Avenue R: A couple reported a large black dog they said “tries to attack people” when they walk by. The owner of the dog says the dog never left the property. The dog’s owner was issued a warning. 10:24 p.m., Avenue M: Caller reports suspicious persons on street using a flashlight; the subjects tell police they were only looking at a couch some- one put on the street for free. Aug. 8 Flooring Installation 3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon 503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com CONSTRUCTION B oB M c E wan c onstruction , inc . E xcavation • u ndErground u tiitiEs r oad w ork • F ill M atErial s itE P rEParation • r ock owned and operated by 34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR S erving the p aCifiC n orthweSt S inCe 1956 • CC48302 LANDSCAPING Laurelwood Compost • Mulch • Planting MacMix Soil Amendments YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF (no Scotch Broom) 503-717-1454 34154 HIGHWAY 26 SEASIDE, OR Laurelwood Farm LAWN CARE Free Estimates • Storm Clean-Up 6:27 p.m., The Prom: Police assist another agency with a water rescue. JIM’S LAWN CARE 503-325-2445 Aug. 9 6:08 a.m., Gilbert Building: Criminal mischief in the third degree was reported from graffiti spray painted on the side of the building. Police are investigating. LAWNS • SHRUBS • GUTTER CLEANING BARK • BRUSH CLEARING & REMOVAL WEEDING • HAULING • MONTHLY RATES 7:25 a.m., Police headquarters: A person came in to register as a sex offender. 1:01 p.m., 500 block S. Edge- wood: Burglary in the first degree and theft in the second degree were reported. 11:16 p.m., 400 block S. Roo- sevelt: A person was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine. 10:49 p.m., Holladay and 14th Street: A person was charged with trying to elude a police officer. M ike and C eline M C e wan 503-738-3569 1:21 a.m., Seaside Providence Hospital: Police assist another agency at the hospital regard- ing a domestic incident that occurred in Jewell. 1:40 p.m., Broadway: Police respond to a “dine and dash” incident occurring at Finn’s restaurant. Police locate the suspects in Quatat Park. The complainant said they would be satisfied if the tab was paid. A civil compromise was negoti- ated between the parties. Carpet Cleaning TIRES/WHEELS D EL ’S O .K . D EL ’S O .K . is changing its name to Same great service YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR TIRES CUSTOM WHEELS • AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat- 8-4 503-325-2861 35359 Business Hwy 101 For emergencies 503-325-0233 Astoria, OR (miles crossing)
