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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2020)
Friday, August 7, 2020 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3 Union spars over House race Local endorsement of Weber was withdrawn By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian R.J. Marx More than 26,000 gallons of sewage spilled onto Cannon Beach in late July. Sewage spill in Cannon Beach By NICOLE BALES The Astorian CANNON BEACH — Dump trucks carried 28 loads of sand off of Can- non Beach in late July after a sewage overfl ow. The city said it was noti- fi ed of a wastewater pump station failure on the morn- ing of July 24 that led to more than 26,000 gallons of sewage spilling onto the beach at the end of Nelchena Street. While the city worked to correct the problem, it was unclear there was a sewage overfl ow until the afternoon. A report by Karen La Bonte, the city’s pub- lic works director, said she received a phone call from a resident at around 4 p.m. informing her that he noticed water coming from the southernmost out- fall during his walk on the beach that morning. When public works staff went back out to inspect the area, they found specks of toilet paper. The city notifi ed the state Department of Environ- mental Quality and Oregon State Parks. Barricades and caution tape were placed around the area, along with sand- wich boards with warning signs. Signs on the beach will remain for several more weeks. The city’s excavation contractor brought four dump trucks and removed 28 loads of sand from the beach. The sand was taken to an area east of U.S. High- way 101. The city said the spill did not reach the ocean and that the cleanup was completed before high tide. Notifi cations regarding the incident were sent the evening of July 24 to the City Council, city attorney, nearby hotels, the Ecola Creek Watershed Council and Surfrider Foundation and committees that partner with the city on environ- mental projects. La Bonte’s report said the city’s electrical con- tractor concluded that the valves on two of the waste- water pump stations were adjusted incorrectly. The incorrect valves caused the pressure to increase, which damaged the pump sta- tions. Other malfunctions were also exposed by the incident. “We will be reviewing our training procedures for new employees starting to do routine maintenance in our pump stations, in addi- tion to adding signage that make certain procedures more clear,” La Bonte said in the report. Public works will also reexamine routine mainte- nance intervals. In her report, La Bonte said another contributing factor was that the waste- water department has been short-staffed for some time. “Team members from other departments and agencies have stepped up to assist the wastewater team whenever possible,” she said. “This has resulted in a level of inconsistencies in who was performing vari- ous operations.” She said there also needs to be improvements to the utility systems, but funding will require adjustments to utility rates. Seaside woman dies after being hit by vehicle on U.S. Highway 101 Seaside Signal A Seaside woman died last Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle on U.S. Highway 101 near Gearhart. Police say the driver of a Chevrolet coupe was travel- ing northbound when he saw a pedestrian cross into his path and was unable to avoid her. Emergency crews arrived at about 9:30 p.m. and Rachel Faith McCune, 35, was pro- nounced dead at the scene. The highway was closed to one lane for about three hours after the crash. The North Coast Labor Federation, a chapter of Oregon AFL-CIO for Clat- Debbie Boothe-Schmidt sop and Tillamook coun- Suzanne Weber ties, met in late July in Asto- ria and endorsed Republican from the United Steelwork- 40 members from different Suzanne Weber for state ers, which represents work- unions across the state, the representative said. House District 32, upending ers at Wauna Mill. “I had no intention of a traditional dynamic of labor Paul Putkey, a county groups backing Democrats. surveyor and president of seeking the endorsement Last Monday, the Boothe-Schmidt’s union, of political insiders in Port- endorsement had been the American Federation of land,” Weber said in a state- pulled by order of the Ore- State, County and Municipal ment. “The Oregon AFL- gon AFL-CIO, which had Employees Local 2746 chap- CIO is one of the most endorsed Weber’s opponent, ter, said none of his approx- overtly hyperpartisan lob- Democrat Debbie Boothe- imately 250 members in the byist groups in the state, Schmidt. The local endorse- local labor federation were and extreme partisanship ment of Weber violated the told about an endorsement is exactly what we do not AFL-CIO’s national char- interview. His local union need.” After news of the local ter leaving state Legislature would not endorse candi- endorsements at the state- dates for state Legislature, federation’s endorsement of wide level. he said. The statewide affi l- Weber came out, Smith said, Members of the labor fed- iate of his union has backed the head of the Oregon AFL- CIO reached out and gave eration and Weber have char- Boothe-Schmidt. acterized the rule as another “Time and time again, them until July 24 to remove example of urban elites dic- when local members in the endorsement. They had tating their will over local this district were given the never reached out to con- sentiment. Democrats face chance to participate in the sult with the local federa- a more challenging race process, they chose me,” tion about the endorsement for House District 32 since Boothe-Schmidt said in a of Boothe-Schmidt, he said. Weber’s campaign state Rep. Tiffi ny Mitchell statement. “I’m endorsed by announced she was mov- unions for teachers, nurses, removed mention of the ing to Washington state and home care workers, men- endorsement on her social would not run for reelection. tal health providers, pub- media and later issued Republicans, buoyed by a lic safety and other county a response in which she decried Portland political backlash to proposed cli- workers.” mate legislation and the rural Weber has taken a hard elites. “These are the peo- advocacy group #Timbe- line against proposed cap- ple who want rUnity, have one of to defund our their best chances THE LOCAL ENDORSEMENT police depart- in years to fl ip the OF WEBER VIOLATED THE ments, shut district. down our forests B o o t h e - AFL-CIO’S NATIONAL CHARTER and do whatever Schmidt, a trial extremist politi- assistant with Clat- LEAVING STATE LEGISLATURE cians tell them,” sop County Circuit Weber said in a Court, has received ENDORSEMENTS AT THE statement. “The most of the union STATEWIDE supposed ‘lead- support. Weber, ers’ in Portland the mayor of Tilla- LEVEL. might choose to mook and a former ignore the will teacher, has been backed by #TimberUnity and-trade legislation that of union members in rural and most industry groups, would tax large industrial Northwest Oregon, but I including Koch Industries, polluters like Wauna Mill never will. We need a state the owner of the Wauna Mill. and has become a fl ashpoint representative chosen by the Mike Smith, a worker at for the urban-rural divide people who live and work the Wauna Mill and pres- in the Legislature. Boothe- here, not someone like Deb- ident of the local federa- Schmidt has been noncom- bie Boothe-Schmidt who will only rubber-stamp anything tion, said members of the mittal on the legislation. local federation invited both Smith claimed the local and everything the Portland Weber and Boothe-Schmidt endorsement had nothing to political elites tell her to.” Boothe-Schmidt to interview for the endorse- do with cap and trade. A rep- that Weber ment at their general meeting resentative of the Oregon responded recently, but that only Weber AFL-CIO said both Weber “doesn’t have support from showed. Boothe-Schmidt and Boothe-Schmidt had working people and doesn’t denied ever being invited been sent questionnaires rep- support important policies to speak with labor federa- resenting the group’s prior- that impact working fami- tion members and said the ities as part of its endorse- lies like expanding paid sick group hasn’t previously done ment process for state races. leave or raising wages. She endorsements. Weber never responded, is misleading you by point- A representative of while Boothe-Schmidt sub- ing to this one group that Boothe-Schmidt’s campaign mitted the questionnaire and doesn’t have dues-paying said she had approached was voted for by at least two- members to make it look like Smith more than a month thirds of an endorsement she’s a champion for work- ago about an endorsement board, including around ing families.” Kawasoe scores big victory in Portland “Right after I tapped in on 18, they said, ‘I think you just won it.’” Kawasoe knew most of the other golfers in the tourna- ment. Rueck will be a junior at 5A Corvallis this year. “They were mostly from Portland and Vancouver,” he said. “Everyone congratu- lated me, and they were all really cool about it. “It was defi nitely the big- gest win I’ve had,” he added. “I got myself over the hump. I started pretty slow this sum- mer, just trying to get back in the groove. After the fi rst round, I told my dad (Astoria Golf & Country Club golf pro John Kawasoe), ‘I think that might have got me over the hump.’” As for the Gulls, Seaside will be one of the favorites By GARY HENLEY Sesaide Signal Misty Kawasoe Seaside’s Carson Kawasoe following his win in the Bob Allard Memorial tournament in Portland. course in Round 2, with bird- ies on three of the fi rst fi ve holes. Kawasoe birdied No. 8 and fi nished the front nine with a 32. He recorded his second eagle on the 11th hole, on his way to a 34 on the back nine, for a six-under par 66. Kawasoe said Rueck “played really solid. He bogeyed (holes) three, six and nine. I had one bogey on the day and the putter got pretty hot on the front.” Still, Kawasoe was not fol- lowing the leaderboard very closely. “I actually wasn’t,” he said. “Two of the kids I was playing with knew one of the dads in the last group, and we passed each other when I was on 18, and they were on 16. I had a two-shot lead with fi ve to play, and everyone seemed to know except for me. Fre e Est Fast ima tes Call me ti Any Jeff Hale Painting • • • • Residential Commercial Cedar Roof Treatments Exterior Repaint Specialist Over 25 years local experience 503-440-2169 Jeff Hale, Contractor LICENSED BONDED INSURED CCB#179131 Steel on the inside where it matters most. Shops Garages Commercial Industrial www.WSBNW.com 855 • 668 • 7211 Sandy, OR S199513-1 The weather was hot, but Seaside’s Carson Kawasoe was hotter on the golf course last week. A junior-to-be and three- sport athlete with the Gulls, Kawasoe scored a major win in his best sport, when he won the annual Bob Allard Memo- rial Golf Classic, July 27 and July 28 at Rose City Golf Course in Portland. Competing in the age 14-18 boys open division, Kawasoe shot a four-under par 140 to win by just one stroke over Cole Rueck, who shot a three-under par in the fi nal round July 28. There were 60 golfers in the divi- sion, with top age group golf- ers from around the state. Kawasoe shot a 74 in the fi rst round on July 27, high- lighted by an eagle on the 10th hole. But it was Rueck who was atop the leaderboard after the fi rst round with a 70, followed by Nicholas Nautiyal (71), two golfers with a 72, and two others at 73. So Kawasoe had his work cut out for him on July 28’s second round. “I was tied for seventh, but I told the guys in my group, ‘you know guys, I’m just going to go win it.’ And I kept it going.” And Kawasoe answered the challenge by scorching the to win a 4A state title next spring — or whenever high school boys golf returns to the course. The Gulls would have been one of the favorites last spring, with all of their golfers returning this year. “It was a bummer to have it canceled, but I was glad to have some tournaments this summer,” Kawasoe said. “Luckily I’m young, so I get a couple more seasons. Cur- tis (Kunde) will be our only senior this year.” The champion from each division of the Allard Memo- rial will receive an invita- tion to the Tournament of Major Champions, Sept. 12 at Illahe Hills Country Club in Salem, and Charlotte’s Tour- nament of Champions, Sept. 26 at Creekside Golf Club in Salem.
