Update: Transition Center Turn-over To Authority Of Clatsop County Sheriff's Department In Unanimous Commission Vote

Tom Bennett - Clatsop County

Transition Center Goes To Control Of Sheriff's Department(Wednesday Meeting, 02-23-2011)

Based on a consultant’s report on the county Community Corrections Department, which recommended its Transition Center residential facility be closed and Community Corrections be placed under the authority of the county Sheriff’s Office, the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to accept Staff's findings and recommendations and issue authority to proceed with their implementation.

The Transition Center, opened in 2006 at the North Coast Business Park in Warrenton, is a dormitory-style residential facility that serves as an alternative sanction for local offenders. Budget forecasts indicate that the facility’s operating costs will exceed available revenue by 2012.

The county manager is taking input on the study’s recommendations and a final decision will be made by March 31.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

STUDY RECOMMENDS TRANSITION CENTER CLOSURE
A comprehensive review completed by an outside consultant recommends that Clatsop County close its Transition Center and place the Community Corrections Department under the direction of the County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the report, rising costs and declining revenue have made the Transition Center’s operations financially unsustainable, while lack of communication between the Sheriff’s Office and Community Corrections has hampered the efficient use of sanctions for local offenders....Read Full Clatsop County Release

Clatsop County To Sue City Of Astoria For Ownership Of Warrenton Property?

Tom Bennett - Clatsop County
Thursday, February 24, 2011

COUNTY TO FILE SUIT TO CONFIRM LAND OWNERSHIP
Clatsop County is taking legal action against the City of Astoria to confirm its ownership of a disputed property in Warrenton. GRP:Hmmm! Where does this put Astoria City Attorney/Clatsop County Counsel, Henningsgaard on this issue? Is he going to have to sit this one out?
The county board of commissioners voted Wednesday to file suit in Clatsop County Circuit Court to press the county’s claim under a reversionary clause to two tax lots adjacent to Ocean View Cemetery......Read Full Release

Update - The Astoria City Council Feb. 22, 201: Ready To Bend A Bit With D.A. Marquis On DUII Prosecutions. ACC To Draft Another Letter?

Read Daily Astorian Article "Astoria To Look Into DUII Changes!!!
GRP: Here is the text of the letter, hand delivered to District Attorney, Josh Marquis and KAST-AM Personality Tom Freel last Thursday night, to my understanding and signed as well by all members of The Astoria City Council and today I read there will be a "Special Meeting" by that same panel to approve this same letter four or five days later and after it has become more than public? Is something seriously amiss here? I would like to see another letter explaining the legality of this action. Is our city government beginning to backslide at this 200th year anniversary?Are we back to City Manager Benoit, at the urging of "The Mayor" to keep rewriting findings of fact till he gets the fact he needs to satisfy the particular agenda as has been alluded to in the past?

What specifically has CofA done to impact the admininstration and records keeping of the court to truly make it a Court of Record as Mayor Van Dusen implies and new Commissioner Mellin, who was so adament in her campaign position on Municipal Court's DUII's needing to be sent to Circuit Court and now seems to have abandoned that position?

Update - 02/08/2011 - Read Daily Astorian Report On Oregon Rep., Debbie Boone's Legislation Regarding Municipal Court DUII Jurisdiction And Prosecution Authority Change Into The Hands Of County District Attorneys.

Register Guard Editorial:Messing With The Public Meetings Law Gets Real Messy For A Couple Of Commissioners

January 27, 2011


To the Citizens of Astoria:

The Astoria City Council has decided to continue to handle DUII cases from the City of Astoria in the Astoria Municipal Court. We would like to explain this decision to the citizens of Astoria and correct recent inaccurate public statements.

Astoria Municipal Court was created over 50 years ago pursuant to Oregon statutes. Several attorneys have served as part-time Astoria Municipal Court Judge over the years. They include Jerry McCallister, Judge Phillip Nelson, Judge Paula Brownhill, and Justice of the Peace Neal Lemery. Kris Kaino currently fills the position. He is an Astoria attorney in good standing with the Oregon State Bar. Local attorney Mary Ann Murk prosecutes the DUII cases in Municipal Court. She is a skilled attorney in good standing with the Bar.

In March of 2010, District Attorney Josh Marquis contacted the City Council and said he had a proposal that would save the City of Astoria thousands of dollars. He said the City only had to transfer prosecution of Astoria’s misdemeanor DUII cases to Clatsop County Circuit Court. The City Council took this offer seriously and asked City Manager Paul Benoit to investigate the District Attorney’s claim. Mr. Benoit reported back to the City Council that this move would not save money; it would actually cost the City revenue and additional overtime to the Astoria Police Department. The Council made no changes to Municipal Court and we notified Mr. Marquis of our decision.

In August of 2010, Mr. Marquis again asked the City Council to transfer all misdemeanor DUII cases to Circuit Court. His reason this time was different. He said that there were many cases that were mishandled and justice would be better served in Circuit Court. Again we took his statements seriously. We asked him to prepare a report of the mishandled cases. He agreed to do so and in August of 2010 he submitted a report that listed 14 cases. On October 4, 2010, the City Council held a public meeting to discuss the cases. Mr. Marquis appeared in person and presented his report.

The report, which Mr. Marquis said took over 100 hours to prepare, listed 14 cases over the last eight years. Mr. Marquis acknowledged that many of the cases were handled properly. As he went through the report, we discovered that it contained many significant errors. One case that Mr. Marquis said was mishandled in Astoria Municipal Court was actually a case where the defendant was arrested in Seaside. That case was handled in Circuit Court. Also in the report, he described one defendant with two DUII cases and asserted that both cases were dismissed improperly. We learned from Judge Kaino that the defendant was never charged with DUII; this defendant had one theft charge that was handled properly.

The Astoria City Council and City staff have spent a great deal of time investigating Mr. Marquis’s allegations. We acknowledge, after discounting the incorrect information in the report, that two misdemeanor DUII cases in the last eight years were not handled appropriately. The City Council has implemented changes that will help prevent such problems in the future. We implemented a new computer system that provides for electronic citations to be sent directly by the officer to the Municipal Court, and a record-keeping system that makes it easy to find and track files. We record all DUII hearings and trials so anyone may hear what happens in court. We have an aggressive prosecutor who pursues fair and lawful resolutions of these cases.

We gave Mr. Marquis our full attention. We admit that his concerns have been one of the reasons for the recent changes in Municipal Court; however, he failed to demonstrate a good reason to transfer Astoria DUII cases to Circuit Court. He has threatened to sue the City and have a judge decide whether he can take these cases, even though it would cost the City substantial attorney fees and lost revenues. We are comfortable that our decision is in the best interest of the citizens of our City. We are committed to an annual review of Astoria Municipal Court. Please contact any one of us if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

THE CITY OF ASTORIA


____________________________
Willis L. Van Dusen
Mayor

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Arline LaMear Ward 1 Councilor

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Peter Roscoe Ward 2 Councilor

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Karen Mellin Ward 3 Councilor

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Russ Warr Ward 4 Councilor

Attorneys Use Social Networking Sites To Vet Their Jurors, Even Clatsop County

By ANA CAMPOY And ASHBY JONES - Wall Street Journal
Facebook is increasingly being used in courts to decide who is—and who isn't—suitable to serve on a jury, the latest way in which the social-networking site is altering the U.S. court system.

Prosecution and defense lawyers are scouring the site for personal details about members of the jury pool that could signal which side they might sympathize with during a trial. They consider what potential jurors watch on television, their interests and hobbies, and how religious they are.

Josh Marquis, district attorney of Clatsop County in Oregon, did background searches on Facebook to help pick a jury for a penalty trial last summer to determine if a convicted murderer should get the death penalty. He was looking for clues on how potential jurors might feel about the defendant, a man who killed a couple as a teenager in 1988. The jury imposed the death penalty......Read Full Article

City Of Astoria Notice Of Public Hearing:Exemption From Competitive Solicitation Requirements For Maritime Memorial Granite Wall Project

CITY OF ASTORIA
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
February 16, 2011

FROM: SHERRI WILLIAMS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, 338-5183

A public hearing will be held by the Astoria City Council at 7:00pm on February 22, 2011 in the City Council Chambers, 1095 Duane Street, Astoria, Oregon, for the purpose of taking public comments regarding draft findings for an exemption from the competitive solicitation requirements for the Maritime Memorial Granite Wall project.
Written comments are also welcome and must be received by 5:00 p.m. February 22, 2011, at 1095 Duane Street, Astoria, Oregon 97103. Both oral and written comments will be reviewed by City Council. This meeting is accessible to the disabled. An interpreter for the hearing impaired may be requested under the terms of ORS 192.630 by contacting Julie Lampi, City Manager’s office, (503) 325-5824.
A draft copy of the findings for an exemption from the competitive solicitation requirement is available for public review at Astoria City Hall, Community Development Department, 1095 Duane Street, Astoria. Contact person for this project is Brett Estes. He can be reached at (503)338-5183.
THE CITY OF ASTORIA PUBLISH: February 15, 2011
Sherri Williams, Administrative Assistant

Kitzhaber Bio-Mass Jobs Plan May Face Hurdles

By Jeff Barnard - The Associated Press/Register Guard
Published: Sunday, Feb 20, 2011 05:02AM

Gov. John Kitzhaber wants to put Oregonians back to work in the woods.
Instead of trying to revive the glory days of the timber industry before the spotted owl, he envisions a new kind of woods work that provides green energy, healthier forests and jobs from thinning projects......Read Full Article

Clatsop County Press Release: LUBA Upholds County Board Of Commissioners Decision To Withdraw Application And Rehear Oregon LNG/Pipeline Application

Friday, February 18, 2011

LUBA UPHOLDS COUNTY'S OREGON PIPELINE WITHDRAWAL
The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals has upheld Clatsop County’s decision to withdraw its earlier approval of the consolidated land-use application from Oregon Pipeline LLC
The ruling, issued Thursday, Feb. 17, rejects a challenge filed by the project developer regarding the deadline for the county board of commissioners’ Jan. 14 decision.
LUBA’s decision clears the way for the scheduled March 9 hearing before the commissioners on its reconsideration of the application.

Read Full Press Release

Public Interest Environmental Law Conference Scheduled For March 3-4, 2011

Turning the Tides:
Creating a Green and Clean Future29th Annual PIELC: March 3-6, 2011
PIELC is only THREE weeks away! Everyone has been hard at work finalizing this year's conference; we know that it will be a great conference and can't wait see you all here!
The Panel Schedule for this year's conference is up! You can find it under the "Panels" tab in the upper left-hand corner of this page...Read Full Details

Summary Of HB3025 To Be Introduced By Rep. Debbie Boone On District Attorney District Misdemeanor Prosecution Authority

Governors Committee On DUII's Votes To Support HB 3025!!

76th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2011 Regular Session

NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in anamended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minussigns - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within { + braces and plus signs + } . LC 3089

Oregon House Bill 3025 Sponsored by Representative Deborah Boone

SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.

Clarifies that district attorney may take control of investigation and prosecution of any misdemeanor committed in county served by district attorney.

A BILL FOR AN AC Relating to district attorneys; amending ORS 8.660.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. ORS 8.660 is amended to read: 8.660. (1) The district attorney shall attend the terms of all courts having jurisdiction of public offenses within the district attorney's county, and, except as otherwise provided in this section, conduct, on behalf of the state, all prosecutions for such offenses therein. { + Notwithstanding any provision of ORS chapter 221, a district attorney may take control of the investigation and prosecution of any misdemeanor committed in the county served by the district attorney. + } (2) A district attorney shall not conduct prosecutions under this section when: (a) A city attorney is prosecuting a violation under ORS chapter 153; or (b) The district attorney is prohibited from appearing in a violation proceeding under the provisions of ORS 153.076 (Conduct of trial
(6) A district attorney or city attorney may aid in preparing evidence and obtaining witnesses but, except upon good cause shown to the court, shall not appear in violation proceedings unless counsel for the defendant appears. The court shall ensure that the district attorney or city attorney is given timely notice if defense counsel is to appear at trial. [1999 c.1051 §21])

Daily Astorian Editorial:Astoria's Culture Of Alcoholism Nurtures Astoria Municipal Court

"Voeller's case was a poster child for what's wrong with the Astoria Municipal Court. The Voeller case stands next to those of Stephen Moore, Sara Leloff and David Lee Gonzalez. In all of those cases, Astoria's court was more inclined to dismiss defendants than it was determined to prosecute them vigorously - and in the case of Moore - to the letter of the law.".........Read Full Steven Forrester Editorial

Clatsop County Files Notice Of Public Hearing On Reconsideration Of Oregon LNG/Pipeline Application

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Wednesday, March 9, 2011 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria, for the purpose of reconsidering the approval granted Nov. 8, 2010 for the consolidated land-use application from Oregon Pipeline LLC.......Read Full Notice

Oregon Attorney General/Department Of Justice Annual Report

Dear Fellow Oregonians:

As your Attorney General, I am proud of the work we do at the Oregon Department of Justice.
Our mission is to provide outstanding legal and child support services to you and your
government. We are dedicated to:

• Fighting crime and protecting crime victims;
• Improving the well‐being of Oregon’s children;
• Protecting the environment;
• Fighting for Oregon consumers, workers, investors, and taxpayers;
• Promoting a positive business climate;
• Providing great legal services to Oregon’s citizens.....Read Full DOJ Annual Report

Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Agrees On Limted Hearing On Oregon LNG/Pipeline Application

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners will hold a limited hearing next month as part of its reconsideration of the land-use application from Oregon Pipeline LLC.

Following a public hearing Wednesday, the board voted to limit its review to the existing record and allow testimony only from the applicant, Oregon Pipeline LLC, and project opponent Columbia Riverkeeper when it revisits the issue at a hearing March 9. The meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria.....Read Full Clatsop County Press Release

Astor Hotel Fire Causes One arrest, $100 Fire Damage, $50,000 Sprinkler Damage

By Michael Russell - The Oregonian

Police arrested a woman after a small fire activated the sprinkler system at the John Jacob Astor Hotel in downtown Astoria Monday morning, causing extensive water damage to the historic structure. .........Read Full Oregonlive Article

February 7, 2011: First Day Of Filing For Election To Numerous Clatsop County Commissions And Panels

View Calendar And List Of All Open Seats ForMay 17, 2011 Special District Elections

From Oregon Attorney General John Kroger: Be Alert For Phoney Debt Collection Scam

SCAM ALERT: FAKE DEBT COLLECTION SCAMS
February 3, 2011
The Oregon Department of Justice has received several complaints regarding phony debt collection calls. Scam artists pose as debt collectors or law enforcement officers calling about an outstanding debt from an online payday loan. They frequently use fake phone numbers and official sounding business names. They also do their research. Some Oregonians have been tricked into paying nonexistent debt because the scam artist knew personal information about them, including their Social Security number, home address, e-mail, and names of family and personal references..Read Full DOJ Scam Alert

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.com Unveils "The Daily" Today

Introducing The Daily

First National Daily News Publication Created for iPad Launches today in the Apple App Store
New York, NY, February 2, 2011 - Today Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation, unveiled The Daily -- the industry's first national daily news publication created from the ground up for iPad........Read News Corp.com Press Release

Sunset Empire Transit: New Interim Director Finds SET's Finances In Disorder!

By:Chelsea Gorrow - The Daily Astorian - January 28, 2011

(Cindy Howe Photo By: Don Anderson - The Daily Astorian)

*Three weeks ago, in circumstances that haven’t been publicly explained, Howe, the long-serving leader of the district, submitted her resignation.

*Since then, Anderson revealed that managers have found the financial record keeping in disarray.

*One issue being probed is financial. Thursday’s board meeting heard that Howe had apparently signed a $25,000 agreement with New Northwest Broadcasters for radio spots without approval........Read Full Daily Astorian Report

Conservancy Group Purchases Historic SS United States

In a long-anticipated milestone in the effort to save and redevelop the legendary ocean liner SS United States, the SS United States Conservancy will announce that the national nonprofit organization has acquired title to the nation’s historic “ship of state.”
“We are one big step closer to ensuring that this great symbol of American innovation is permanently preserved,” said Susan Gibbs, the Conservancy’s board president, whose grandfather, William Francis Gibbs, designed the legendary liner. “Now that we have secured title, we will accelerate our efforts to redevelop the nation's flagship as a multi-purpose waterfront destination with dynamic hotel, retail, educational and museum offerings. To succeed, we will tap into the same “can-do” spirit and ingenuity that the ship has embodied since her first splash in 1952.”......Read Report

OK, Camp Rilea Gets Reba On August 14, 2011 But What About The 7 Months In Between?

Reba Update: So, The Reba Concert Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With Astoria's Bicentennial And Is Merely A Private Venture Just Using It As A Catalyst, Implies Co-Organizer Paul Mitchell On KAST-AM - "The Profits, If Any, Will Be Disbursed Locally"

Radio Ticket Sales Ads Say Concert Is Sponsored, In-Part, By "Astoria Regatta Concert Associaton"?

Reba Update:A $600,000 Price Tag?



Well, having Reba performing at Camp Rilea in August certainly gives us ample opportunity, 7 months as a matter of fact, to capitalize on Astoria's immediate assets to bolster a little prosperity to the businesses of this 200 year old city by, let's say, developing a "Performing Arts Series every weekend to bring other great talent to the area by involving all our venues in the city, large and small, in a coordinated effort to share the talent and prosperity amongst all our retailers.
And hey! How about an actual regatta and establishing the "John Jacob Astor Bicentennial Challenge Cup" by inviting two or three very competitive sailng classes to a week's elemination series culminating in match races per each class at the end of the week and the final Regatta Celebration events?
You know, it could be a blessing in disguise for Astoria, its businesses, its blessings and its residents and the visitors it will bring.
Daily Astorian Update Says Reba A $600,000 Ticket For 12,000 Showgoers At Camp Rilea