An Observation: Those Astoria DUII’s And Who Should Try Them: Is It Time To Take The Issue To The People?

With Clatsop County District Attorney, Josh Marquis and Astoria City Attorney, Blair Henningsgaard scheduled to be in attendance, proposed HB3025 will be heard March 31, 2011 in the House Judiciary Committee in Salem and has already won endorsement from the Governor’s Advisory Committee on DUII’s at a previous meeting February 11, 2011.

This culminates a year’s worth of sparring between the Clatsop County District Attorney’s Office and the Astoria City Council over its Municipal Court and that court’s disposition of DUII cases and the issue seems far from being resolved at all but, here’s a rough and by no means, specific chronology of what has taken place to date:
* April, 2010: Astoria District Attorney presents his proposal to Astoria City Council declaring his desire to assume all DUII cases from Astoria Municipal Court.
* July, 2010: County D.A. comes back to Astoria City Council for further discussion on the issue and not well received by, then,. Councilor and candidate for new Astoria City Attorney, Blair Henningsgaard inferring a “personal vendetta” on the part of D.A. Marquis and Commissioner Russ Warr wanting statistics.
* At a Work Session in October, 2010, D.A. Marquis is back again with the results of a two month study by his office with everybody weighing-in on the results with no clear resolution on the issue but much scrutiny, on the part of the Council, to dissect Marquis’s report and defer any final outcomes till Mayor Van Dusen and Council and other parties review individual elements of the report.
* January, 2011: District Attorney Marquis publishes an Op-Ed in the Daily Astorian with his explanation as to why he is pursuing those DUII cases with the Astoria City Council their own letter to “The Citizens of Astoria” , collectively signed by all members and hand delivered to D.A. Marquis and a local radio personality in the dark of night to their doorstep and then, 4-5 days later meets to approve “The Letter”? Read The Op-Ed And Letter Here
* February, 2011: Oregon Rep. Deborah Boone drafts and introduces HB 3025 which will be heard March 31, 2011 in the House Judiciary Committee in Salem. Read “The Bill” Language Here

And so, here we are today and I’m looking at a headline in Thursday’s Daily Astorian that reads; ”Astoria DUII Battle Re-Ignites”?

Re-ignites?

I’d say that fire is still burning as strong as ever now with Astoria Police Chief Curzon weighing-in with his own statement on the issue and comes across, in my view, as somewhat generic and diluted and lends nothing whatsoever towards any resolution from his position and perspective.

Still, no clear resolution and still, many unanswered and unsettled questions remain and the true question I see arising ultimately is; Does this issue need to go before the people of Astoria to settle?

Should we hold open hearings, with testimony from all involved without fear from any reprisal or retaliation for that testimony?

I say “Yes” we should and the sooner the better and as amicably as possible.

Palomar Gas Partners Back-Off Proposed Pipeline Project, Citing Insufficient Demand To Support It.

Published: Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 8:15 PM
Updated: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 8:08 AM

By Ted Sickinger, The Oregonian

Northwest Natural Gas Co. and TransCanada Corp. have withdrawn their joint venture's application to build the controversial Palomar pipeline, telling regulators that demand is insufficient to support the project in the near term. The announcement moves the project off the map and out of a labyrinthine regulatory process in Washington, D.C., where elaborate environmental studies and high-priced lawyers can quickly lay their own high-capacity pipeline into shareholders' wallets..... Read Full Ted Sickinger Report

March 30, 2011 Special Meeting To Reconsider Oregon Pipeline LLC Consolidated Pipeline Application

Special Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 – 3:30 pm
Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial, Astoria
Special Meeting: 3:30 pm
The Board of Commissioners, as the Governing Body of Clatsop County, all County Service Districts for which this body so
acts, and as the Clatsop County Local Contract Review Board, is now meeting in Special Session.
FLAG SALUTE
ROLL CALL
AGENDA APPROVAL
PUBLIC HEARING
a. Oregon Pipeline LLC consolidated application reconsideration ............................................. { }

March 23, 2011: An Eventful Evening At Clatsop County

OK, we heard NNB's Tom Freel present his slant on last night's CCBofC meeeting this morning.
We got the Daily Astorian's concise presentation this afternoon and yes, it is true, Clatsop County Board of Commissioners plans to vacate the sitting membership of the current Clatsop County Planning Commission and replace it with a new commission by June 30, 2011. FYI, CCBofC can, by statute, do this and has every right to do so.

The Board of Commissioners makes it very clear that all current members of the sitting Planning Commission whose tetm will not expire by june 30, 2011 will be invited to reapply for their seat if they so wish and be included amongst the list of candidates slated for review and appointment.

Me? Write something just to be writing something when we have, already, two distinct versions of what two professional journalists interpreted?

I don't think I will, on this one and I really want all of you to listen directly to the "Complete Audio" of last night's meeting for yourselves and then develop your own judgement as to what transpired

Listen To Full Audio Of Last Night's CCBofC Meeting

Update:Regular Meeting Notice For: Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners, Wednesday, March 23, 2011

To: Media
Attached is second amended agenda for March 23 Clatsop County Board of Commissioners meeting. A second executive session has been added at the conclusion of the regular session, and executive session scheduled for 5:30 p.m. is now for ORS 192.660(1)(h)-Litigation.

Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 Ext. 1312

5:30 PM Executive Session preceeding the regular meeting at 6:00 PM

Read Full Meeting Notice

County's Draft Of Staff Findings And Conclusions On Oregon LNG/Pipeline's Application Still Supports Staff Recommendation For Denial

Clatsop County Draft of revised Staff Findings and Conclusions on Oregon LNG/Pipeline's application for a 41 mile long, High Pressure Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline still maintains denial of project.... Read Full Draft Of County's Document

Clatsop County Imate Work Crew Collects 4600 Pounds Of Trash From Woods

Monday, March 21, 2011

INMATE CREW COLLECTS 4,600 POUNDS OF TRASH FROM WOODS

On Friday, March 18 the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Work Crew completed a two-week garbage cleanup project in the Astoria Basin forest area, locally referred to as the “Pipeline” area.

This project, coordinated by Forest Patrol Deputy Michael Nelson, was carried out with the participation and cooperation of the Oregon Department of Forestry Astoria District.
4,600 pounds of garbage, discarded furniture, and appliances were bagged in 70 33-gallon garbage sacks and collected.

140 inmate labor hours were contributed to the collection and disposal of the garbage, which was transported to the Western Oregon Waste facility in Astoria. Those fees were paid by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Items found which identify potential suspects of criminal activity including Offensive Littering are being processed. Cases worthy of prosecution have been and will be referred to the Clatsop County District Attorney’s Office.

To report crimes on forestlands in Clatsop County contact Sr. Deputy Michael Nelson at (503) 791-4978.

Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 Ext. 1312

Update: Post After-Action Review Work Session For March 11, 2011 Release From County

Read Full County Post-Work Session Report



Members of the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners plan to attend an after-action review by county staff and invited guests of the local response to the March 11 tsunami event. The review will take place at 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 18 at 800 Exchange St., Suite 430, Astoria.

Because a quorum of at least three commissioners are likely to attend, the county is required to notice the meeting as a work session of the board.

No deliberation or action by the board is scheduled to occur at this meeting.

Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 Ext. 1312

Clatsop County:Looks To Improve Phone Notification System

Monday, March 21, 2011

COUNTY PURSUES NEW, IMPROVED PHONE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
A key tool in alerting Clatsop County residents about the potential threat from the Pacific tsunami on March 11 was the telephone-based emergency notification system (ENS).
The “reverse-9-1-1” system allowed local emergency managers to send out recorded messages to people in selected areas, informing them of the tsunami warning and urging them to prepare to evacuate to safer ground. The calls, beginning at about 2 a.m., went out to approximately 7,500 households.....Read Full Clatsop County News Release

U.S. Department Of The Interior-BLM Gives Priority Status To 19 Renewable Energy Projects. Oregon Gets Two

U.S. Department of the Interior-BLM
Renewable Energy Priority Projects
Last Updated: March 8, 2011.

The BLM in 2011 continues work on developing a portfolio of renewable energy projects on public lands. The agency has given priority status to 19 projects (nine solar, five wind, and five geothermal)..... Read Full Details

Circuit Court Judge, Cindee Matyas Vacates Oregon LNG/Pipeline Writ Of Mandamus Motion, Cancels Friday Hearing!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, March 17, 2011

JUDGE VACATES OREGON PIPELINE MOTION

A Clatsop County Circuit Court judge on Thursday vacated a writ of mandamus motion filed by Oregon Pipeline LLC against Clatsop County.

The action by Judge Cindee Matyas effectively puts an end to the company’s motion, which sought immediate approval for its consolidated land-use application for the construction of 41 miles of natural gas pipeline. A hearing scheduled for Friday morning in front of Matyas on the motion has been cancelled.

At the March 9 hearing the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a new set of findings that would result in the application’s denial. The board is currently scheduled to review the draft findings and possibly approve them at a special meeting March 30.
The board of commissioners originally voted in November to approve the application. The ruling was appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals by project opponents, and in January the board, with three new members, elected to withdraw the November decision in order to reconsider the application.

On March 4 Oregon Pipeline filed a request for a writ of mandamus with the court seeking immediate approval of its application. The motion argues that the county has missed the legal deadline for taking final action on the application. If local jurisdictions fail to act on an application within the required timeframe, applicants can seek to have a circuit court order the application to be approved.

Matyas signed the writ and set a hearing for March 18 to hear from attorneys for the county and the applicant. On Thursday, she rescinded her signature and cancelled the hearing.

Oregon Pipeline also claims that, once Matyas signed the writ on March 4, the application came under the official jurisdiction of the court, and that the county had no authority to hold its hearing March 9. No representative from the company attended that hearing.

At this point, Clatsop County is proceeding with the review process, including the March 30 meeting, until it receives direction to do otherwise from its legal counsel, according to County Manager Duane Cole.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000

U.S. House Votes To End NPR Federal Funding!

Mark Memmott - NPR News
March 17, 2011 - 3:38PM

The House of Representatives just voted 228-192 to bar NPR from receiving any more federal funds. It was a partisan vote, with Republicans voting "aye" and Democrats voting "nay."....Read Full Report

May 17, 2011 Special District Elections:114 Open Positions, Only 32 Declared Candidates So Far As March 17, Candidate Filing Deadline Approaches

To See Elections Calendar And Who Has Filed So Far Click This!

You Gonna Run For Office? Today's Your Last Day!!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, March 3, 2011

MANY RACES IN MAY 17 ELECTION STILL SEEKING CANDIDATES

Would you like to make a difference in your community? How about lending your time and expertise to a local district providing vital services to you and your neighbors?
The deadline to file for the May 17 special district election is approaching, and many positions up for election still have no candidates.
The May election features contests for school districts, fire districts, water and sewer districts and other entities. The deadline to file as a candidate for the election is March 17.
There are a total of 114 positions on 39 different service district boards and commissions up for election, but candidates had filed for only 32 of those positions as of Wednesday, March 2.
Among the positions with no candidates are those on the Port of Astoria Commission and Clatsop Community College Board of Directors.
Here are the districts with positions on the May 17 election:

County-wide districts
Port of Astoria
Clatsop Community College
Sunset Empire Transportation District

School Districts
Astoria School District
Clatskanie School District (candidates file with Columbia County)
Jewell School District
Knappa School District
Seaside School District
Warrenton-Hammond School District

Rural Fire Protection Districts
Cannon Beach RFPD
Clatskanie RFPD (candidates file with Columbia County)
Elsie-Vinemaple RFPD
Gearhart RFPD
Hamlet RFPD
John Day-Fernhill RFPD
Knappa-Svensen-Burnside RFPD
Lewis & Clark RFPD
Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD (candidates file with Columbia County)
Nehalem Bay Fire & Rescue (candidates file with Tillamook County)
Olney-Walluski Fire & Rescue
Seaside RFPD
Warrenton RFPD
Westport-Wauna RFPD

Water Districts
Arch Cape Domestic Water Supply District
Falcon Cove Beach Water District
John Day Water District
Skipanon Water District
Wauna Water District
Wickiup Water District
Willowdale Water District
Youngs Bay Water District
Sanitary Service Districts
Arch Cape Sanitary District
Miles Crossing Sanitary Sewer District
Shoreline Sanitary District
Sundown Sanitary District

Health districts
Clatsop Care Health District
Union Health District

Other Districts
Sunset Empire Parks and Recreation District
Clatsop County Rural Law Enforcement District

Candidates can file to run by fee or petition.
For a complete list of all seats up for election, the requirements for each office and other information, go to the “Clerk/Elections” page on the Clatsop County website, http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/.
The last day to register to vote in the May 17 election is April 26; more voter registration information is also available on the Clerk/Elections page of the county website. People can also check their voter registration status online by going to https://secure.sos.state.or.us/eim/vr/showVoterSearch.do

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000

Port Of Astoria Presented A Speculative Plan For Energy Farm At Bradwood Landing?

(The photo-rendering is of a pilot hydrogen fuel filling station now under construction in Southern California and will be the model used for the so-called "Hydrogen Highway")

Ah! "Perpetual Candidate" and "Bio-Mass Energy Project Promoter", John Dunzer, now teaming up with Bradwood Landing property owner, Ken Leahy?

Dunzer speculates using that property (Bradwood Landing) for an "Energy Farm"?
Wants to ship little bitty shiploads of LNG from Kenai, Alaska, down the coast and then upriver to Bradwood Landing to be used to whatever means necessary to recycle tires and produce Hydrogen for the future "Hydrogen Highway" and other assorted and volatile gases such as, Liquid Oxygen, Liquid Hydrogen and Argon gas?

An "Energy Farm" he calls it and wants our Port of Astoria to endorse it all?
An 11 mile, 24 inch diameter, high pressure, Natural Gas Transmission pipeline as opposed to a 30-plus mile, 36 inch diameter line going to a tie-in with Northwest Natural Gas's feeder line?
And Dunzer says it's all very simple and straight-forward and Leahy is his much-needed developer to help make it happen plus put-up the land that we all know very well, Bradwood Landing?

Bunches of questions with a few holes that really need to be plugged to make it look more realistic, in my view.

Kenai, Alaska? Kenai was in the window of Northern Star Natural Gas’s’ vision to build LNG receiving terminals at Bradwood Landing and a California project as a likely supplier of Alaskan LNG. Unfortunately, Alaska, in a joint project with Trans-Canada Pipeline opted to process and ship Their Natural Gas overland throught Alberta Province, Canada and into the U.S. Midwest and tie-in to the national pipeline system and then to the West Coast Market.

“The Hydrogen Highway”? A definite plan underway in California with a pilot Hydrogen Fuel Filling Station under construction at the moment and a fact Mr. Dunzer overlooked was that those stations when in-place will produce and dispense their own Hydrogen Fuel and will likely, as well, be positioned all along the I-5 corridor all the way up to Canada and probably beyond.
Tire Recycling? (To break those tires down to re-capture the Carbon to be re-sold) A viable but, very specialized process and sophisticated equipment to make it happen and a requirement for storage of mountains of old tires.

The Port? So, with this aggressive plan by The Dunzer/Leahy partnership, I need to ask Port of Astoria if they were just blowing smoke up our butts when they announced the proposed Martin Nygaard Timber processing and shipping project at Tongue Point accompanied by a Bio-mass power generation facility that could potentially produce enough electricity to power 14 thousand homes? In its own right would that not be an effective and purposeful “Energy Farm” likely offering many jobs?

I guess my big question is….With all these varied and specialized uses of Leahy’s Bradwood Landing property and all their inherent and sensitive and volatile sophistication, does Dunzer and Leahy actually believe this scheme will go any smoother than the last scheme on that property as attempted by Northern Star Natural Gas?

Truth is, in my view, Bradwood Landing was historically a Log/timber Shipping Operation and maybe some thought should be put into a cooperative arrangement between Leahy and “The Port” to ship those Westerlund Logs out of there, opening up the West Port facility for more Port related ventures.

GRP:This is an observation of an in-depth piece on John Dunzer and Ken Leahy's Scheme as presented to Port of Astoria and written by Katie Wilson - The Daily Astorian on March 16, 2011

Lordan Cove LNG Project Manager Says LNG Export Talk Premature

From: The World
Posted: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 7:58 pm

The manager of the Jordan Cove LNG terminal project did tell an energy newsletter that his company had entertained inquiries about using the facility for export of natural gas, he said Wednesday.

"But the leap of faith (in the article) from 'mulling over' to 'redesign' was enormous," said Bob Braddock......Read Full Details And Updates

Circuit Court Judge Phil Nelson Denies Bail For Accused Murderer Fitzhugh

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 10:51 am Updated: 10:53 am, Tue Mar 15, 2011.
By KATIE WILSONThe Daily Astorian Daily Astorian

An Astoria man accused of murder by abuse and aggravated murder will remain in jail without bail.

According to a decision by Clatsop County Circuit Court Judge Phil Nelson released Monday, the state was able to present strong evidence that Christopher Fitzhugh “recklessly, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of life, caused the death of (his fiancée) Evelyn Decker.”.........Read Full Katie Wilson - Daily Astorian Article

Clatsop County Invites Public Comment On Westport Corridor And Community Plan At Community Meeting

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Clatsop County is hosting a community meeting to gather citizens’ comments about the new Westport Corridor and Community Plan, 7:30-9 p.m. March 31 at the Westport Community Church.
The plan, developed by the county in partnership with local citizens and business owners with funding from a tax-penalty payment from Georgia-Pacific, includes the following proposed projects”
· New Highway 30 access for Westport Ferry/Industrial Park
· Plympton Creek restoration
· Public park on former Georgia-Pacific site
· Boat landing improvements
· Highway 30 pedestrian safety and aesthetic improvements
The community meeting will offer information on recent design progress and the next steps in the planning process.
Public input and involvement is an important part of the planning process – the proposed projects have emerged from meetings with the Westport community, business owners and county representatives.

Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 Ext. 1312

DEQ Officially Denies Proposed Bradwood Landing LNG Terminal/Pipeline 401 Water Quality Certification

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has denied 401 water quality certification for the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas import terminal and pipeline in Clatsop and Columbia Counties.

Read The Full Denial Letter
Read Full Evaluation And Findings Report
Read Full "Antidegradation Report"

USCG Captain Of The Port Closes Depoe Bay, Siuslaw And Columbia River Bar Entrances

ASTORIA, Ore. — Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) for Sector Columbia River, based in Astoria, has issued bar closures for Depoe Bay, Ore., Siuslaw River, Ore., and Columbia River, Ore., at approximately 2 p.m., Monday, due to hazardous conditions.

Vessels are advised to remain at sea until conditions improve.

The bar closures are for all vessels. Any request to transit the bar prior to re-opening must be approved by the COTP. Mariners wishing to transit their vessels across the bar can contact the Sector Columbia River command center on VHF-FM Channel 16 or by telephone at (503) 861-6211.

The Coast Guard understands the effects these closures have on commerce and will make every effort to reopen these waterways as soon as they are considered safe for navigation.
For more information, contact Sector Columbia River at (503) 861-6211.

Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790. The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

ODFW: Ocean Chinook Opens For Sport Anglers Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Ocean Chinook opens for sport anglers Tuesday

March 10, 2011

NEWPORT, Ore. – Ocean anglers will be able to pursue chinook salmon on Oregon’s central coast starting March 15.

“The Sacramento fall chinook salmon, which have been a major limiting stock on the ocean salmon seasons over the past few seasons, are forecast to be at near average abundance this year and will allow for much more fishing opportunity during the 2011 season,” said Eric Schindler, ocean salmon project leader for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Fishing for all salmon except coho will be open from March 15 to April 30 from Cape Falcon just north of Manzanita to Humbug Mountain near Port Orford as scheduled, he said. Anglers fishing out of Tillamook Bay are reminded that only adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon may be retained when fishing inside Tillamook Bay and offshore waters within the 15-fathom depth contour between Twin Rocks and Pyramid Rock.

West Coast fishery managers are still working on other decisions about salmon seasons off the Oregon coast. The range of alternatives for the 2011 season was adopted for public review March 9 at the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Vancouver, Wash.

A public hearing process will occur later this month, including a hearing in Coos Bay at the Red Lion Inn beginning at 7 p.m., March 28. The season development will conclude during the Pacific Fisheries Management Council meeting in San Mateo, Calif., April 9 through 13.

“The commercial chinook salmon fishery south of Cape Falcon scheduled to open on March 15 has been delayed until April 15 under in-season action,” Schindler said. “This season will run from April 15 through 30 in the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain.”
The area from Humbug Mountain to the Oregon-California border will remain closed during March and April. Seasons after April 30 are being developed at this time, he said.

Contact:
Erich Schindler or Brandon Ford (541) 867-4741Fax: (541) 867-0311